Emotion duration forecasting

This research investigates the forecasts that people make about the duration of positive vs. negative emotions, and tests whether these forecasts differ for self vs. others. Consistent with a motivated thinking framework, six studies show that people make optimistic, asymmetric forecasts that positive emotions will last longer than negative ones. However, for other people, wishful thinking is absent, and therefore people make less optimistic, more symmetric forecasts. Potential implications of these motivated forecasts and self-other differences are discussed.