Determination is a positive emotionthat involves persevering towards a difficultgoal in spite of obstacles.[1][2] Determination occurs prior to goal attainment and serves to motivate behavior that will help achieve one’s goal. Empirical research suggests that people consider determination to be an emotion; in other words, determination is not just a cognitive state, but rather an affective state.[3]In the psychology literature, researchers have studied determination under other terms, including challenge and anticipatory enthusiasm; this may explain one reason for the relative lack of research on determination compared to other positive emotions.[2][4]
In the field of psychology, emotion research is heavily focused on negative emotions and the action tendencies that they encourage.[5]However, recent work in positive psychologyincorporates the study of determination as a positive emotion that pushes individuals toward action and results in important outcomes such as perseverance and the development of coping mechanisms.[6]