Uncertainty makes us want to Savour Experiences more…

Gregory and colleagues report that “Savoring—an emotion-regulation strategy that involves deliberately upregulating positive affect—has many benefits, but what enhances savoring in the present moment? Drawing from life-history theory, affective and developmental science, and social-psychological frameworks, we examined the idea that perceptions of uncertainty––perceiving the world as random and unpredictable—enhance subsequent savoring. . . . we found that individuals who perceived more uncertainty showed increases in subsequent savoring in their daily lives. . . . individuals who watched a film that induced uncertainty (vs. order or a control condition) subsequently reported higher savoring intentions. Finally, in a field experiment on a busy urban street . . . we found that passersby who received fliers that induced uncertainty (vs. order) subsequently engaged in more savoring behavior by stopping to smell a bouquet of roses. . . . uncertainty . . . can cause people to savor the positives of the present.”

Andrew Gregory, Jordi Quoidbach, Claudia Haase, and Paul Piff.  2023. “Be Here Now:  Perceptions of Uncertainty Enhance Savoring.”  Emotion, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 30-40, https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000961