Leslie E Sekerka, , Rollin McCraty, (2004), THE PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY OF APPRECIATION IN THE WORKPLACE, in David L. Cooperrider, Michel Avital (ed.) Constructive Discourse and Human Organization (Advances in Appreciative Inquiry, Volume 1) Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.217 – 239

Abstract:

This chapter reviews literature in support of a model that predicts the effects of Appreciative Inquiry on physical health in the workplace. Studies that demonstrate the physiological correlates associated with the experience of appreciation are examined. A model of emotion is proposed that shows how the heart, in concert with the brain, nervous, and hormonal systems, are fundamental components of a dynamic network from which emotional experience emerges. The authors demonstrate how favorable affective experiences and appreciative processes go hand in hand – and suggest the need for further empirical investigations in the field of positive organizational change practices.