Daily spread of positive affect is associated with subsequent well-being: A study of idiographic network analysis and emotional inertia

Emotional inertia, or the persistence of affect over time, and emotion network density, a measurement of the interconnected or relatedness of one's emotions, both capture dynamics of emotional experiences. Previous research has found that higher levels of negative emotional inertia and network density are associated with anxiety and depression. However, there is a dearth of research examining inertia and density of positive emotions and prospective associations between emotion dynamics and subsequent wellbeing. This study sought to address these limitations by examining both cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between emotional inertia and network density and well-being. We examined inertia and density of both positive and negative emotions. Adults with moderate-to-severe depression ( N  = 333) completed two 8-day epochs of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) five times daily. Emotional inertia and idiographic networks were calculated separately for EMA measures of negative and positive affect, and associations with self-reported well-being were examined using nested comparison tests and Bayesian multilevel models. In partial support of hypotheses, contemporaneous network density of positive emotions was positively associated with self-reported well-being six months later. Conversely, inertia of positive affect was inversely associated with well-being six months later. Neither inertia nor network density of negative affect was associated with subsequent well-being. These results suggest that inertia and network density of positive affect may indicate likelihood of experiencing changes in well-being in the future. Future research should investigate the underlying mechanisms, discern differences between emotional inertia and emotion network density, and explore potential implications for treatment.