The days following Thanksgiving mark the beginning of the holiday season. For most of us, it is our favorite time of the year, especially following last year’s muted activities during the pandemic. In thinking about this year’s holiday season, the word “joy” stood out to me. What does joy mean? How is it different from other emotions? And how can we cultivate more of it in our lives? Over the next five weeks, our blogs will explore the topic of “joy” and attempt to answer some of these questions. Why is this important? The goal is to help you experience more joy – not just during the holiday season – but in your life anytime of the year.
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What is Joy?
An interdisciplinary project at Yale University, the Theology of Joy, and the Good Life Project, (TJ& GLP) brought psychologists, philosophers, and theologians together to explore research on joy. This group defined joy as a positive emotion in response to an external good. They concluded that joy can be felt with varying intensity and that the object of the joy is not owed or expected.
The Oxford Companion to Emotion and the Affective Sciences add to this definition by saying that feelings of joy arise in circumstances that seem to happen unexpectedly. Often, people experience joy when they have achieved important goals, especially when that progress was better than expected. For example, it might be completing a difficult project and then being surprised by your boss with an unexpected bonus. Or we might experience joy when an outcome is hoped for but not presumed, such as a child receiving something hard to find on their Santa’s wish list.
Joy can also be experienced during difficulties. Perhaps pain primes us for joy because difficult circumstances and suffering foster the desire for joy. An example of joy might be seeing someone you have longed to see. Contrast this with someone bringing us our daily latte, which only brings pleasure.
Dimensions of Joy
The most comprehensive qualitative study of joy to-date found that participants emphasized that joy involved an internal sense of harmony, vitality, transcendence, freedom, and clarity (Meadows, 2014). The findings from this study also showed that there were multiple types of joy.
Excited vs Serene Joy
Excited joy is very intense and involves high energy. An example might be a hometown team winning a championship. However, that excitement might last only a short period of time. Serene joy is quieter and calmer, such as spending quality time with loved ones. It is likely to be long lasting.
Individual vs Affiliative Joy
Individual joy is experienced in solitude as compared to affiliative joy which involves social connection. An example of individual joy might be passing a final exam or solving a difficult problem. Affiliative joy might be celebrating a birthday with a group of friends and family. Research indicates that most experiences of joy are affiliative, which may mean that the ability to experience joy may have developed to increase social bonding.
Anticipatory vs. Consummatory Joy
Anticipatory joy occurs when we believe the fulfillment of some desired outcome is imminent. This type of joy might be felt as you see the finish line of a difficult race. Consummatory joy occurs upon the fulfillment of some desire. For example, you might feel this way when you finish your first marathon.
Over the next week, pay attention to experiences and circumstances that bring joy to you and others. You may even try to identify and classify the type of joy. This will help you train your attention toward events and circumstances that prompt joy. It will also help you become aware of situations that do not bring you joy. Next week’s blog will explore how joy feels.
References
Johnson, M. K. (2020). Joy: A review of the literature and suggestions for future directions. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 15(1), 5-24.
King, P. E., & Defoy, F. (2020). Joy as a virtue: The means and ends of joy. Journal of psychology and theology, 48(4), 308-331.
Meadows, C. M. (2014). A psychological perspective on joy and emotional fulfillment. New York, NY: Routledge.
Wade, L. (2021). A Joy Intervention (Doctoral dissertation, George Fox University).
Watkins, P. C., Emmons, R. A., Greaves, M. R., & Bell, J. (2017). Joy is a distinct positive emotion: Assessment of joy and relationship to gratitude and well-being. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1-18. doi:10.1080/17439760.2017.1414298