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Research

Savor

S-1: Mindfulness strengthens parts of the brain connected with emotion regulation, happiness, learning & memory, and perspective-taking

  • Kilpatrick, L.A., Suyenobu, B.Y., Smith, S.R. et al. (2011). Impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction training on intrinsic brain connectivity. NeuroImage.
  • Hölzel, B.K., Carmody, J., Vangel, M. et al. (2011). Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry Research.

S-2: Health benefits of savoring

  • Weinstein, N. & Ryan, R. (2010). When helping helps: Autonomous motivation for pro-social behavior and its influence on well-being for the helper and recipient. Journal of Personal and Social Psychology.
  • Bryant, Fred and Veroff, Joseph. (2006) Savoring: A New Model of Positive Experience. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
  • Wood, J. V., Heimpel, S. A., & Michela, J. L. (2003). Savoring versus dampening: Self-esteem differences in regulating positive affect. Journal of Personal and Social Psychology.
  • Bryant, F.B. (2003) Savoring beliefs inventory (SBI): A scale for measuring beliefs about savoring. Journal of Mental Health.

S-3: Positive emotion regulation and well-being

  • Quoidbach, J., Berry, E.V., Hansenne, M., Mikolajczak, M. (2010). Positive emotion regulation and well-being: Comparing the impact of eight savoring and dampening strategies. Personality and Individual Differences.

S-4: Mindfulness trains the brain for happiness

  • Davidson, R. J. & McEwen, B. S. (2012). Social influences on neuroplasticity: Stress and interventions to promote well-being. Nature Neuroscience.
  • Epstein, Robert (2011). "Fight the Frazzled Mind", Scientific American Mind.
  • Epstein, Robert. (2010). "What Makes A Good Mind?" Scientific American Mind.
  • Sedlmeier, P., Eberth, J., Schwarz, M. Zimmermann, D., Haarig, F., Jaeger, S., & Kunze, S. (2012). The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin.

S-5: Benefits of meditation

  • Ditto, B., Eclache, M., & Goldman, N. (2006). Short term autonomic and cardiovascular effects of mindfulness body scan meditation. Annals of Behaviral Medicine.
  • Chiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2009). Mindfulness based stress reduction for stress management in healthy people: a review and meta analysis. Institute of Psychiatry, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
  • Kilpatrick, L.A., Suyenobu, B.Y., Smith, S.R., et al. (2011). Impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction training on intrinsic brain connectivity. NeuroImage.
  • Lee, Roberta. (2010). The Superstress Solution. New York: Random House.
  • Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-Based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice.

S-6: Impact of mindfulness meditation on brain and immune function

  • Davidson, R.J., Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J. et al. (2003). Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine.

S-7: Capitalizing on good news

  • Langston, C. A. (1994). Capitalizing on and coping with daily-life events: Expressive responses to positive events. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
  • Bryant, F.B. & Veroff, J. (2006). A four-factor model of perceived control: Avoiding, coping, obtaining, and savoring. Journal of Personality.

S-8: Benefits of capitalization

  • Gable, S.L., Reis, H.T., Impett, E.A. & Asher, E.R. (2004). What do you do when things go right? The intrapersonal and interpersonal benefits of sharing positive events. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
  • Gable, S. L., Gonzaga, G., & Strachman, A. (2006). Will you be there for me when things go right? Social support for positive events. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
  • Reis, H.T. & Shaver, P. (1988). Intimacy as an interpersonal process. In S. Duck (Ed.), Handbook of Personal Relationships: Theory, Research, and Interventions. John Wiley and Sons.

S-9: Benefits of laughing with spouse

  • Bazzini, D. G., Stack, E. P., Martinicin, P. D., & Davis, C. (2007). Remember when we...?”: The effects of reminiscing about laughter on relationship satisfaction. Motivation and Emotion.
  • Fraley, B., & Aron, A. (2004). The effect of shared humorous experience on closeness in initial encounters. Journal of Personal Relationships.

S-10: Savoring memories

  • Bryant, F. B., Smart, C. M., & King, S. P. (2005). Using the past to enhance the present: Boosting happiness through positive reminiscence. Journal of Happiness Studies.

S-11: Flow and optimal experience

  • Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly and Csikszentmihalyi, Isabella Selega. Optimal Experience: Psychological Studies of Flow in Consciousness. Cambridge University Press, 1998.
  • Moneta, G.B., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). The effect of perceived challenges and skills on the quality of subjective experience. Journal of Personality.
  • Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. (1998). Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyda