Positivity and higher alertness levels facilitate discovery: Longitudinal sentiment analysis of emotions on Twitter

Emotions stimulate and shape entrepreneurial alertness. In a first U.S.-based study, we analyzed self-reports of entrepreneurs non-entrepreneurs by measuring differences in valence emotions using the frequently applied Positive Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) scale for trait affectivity. second explored 28,478 tweets 185 successful 264 (both drawn from Forbes lists) 2009 to 2021, categorizing their tweeted words into positive negative based on Harvard IV-4 dictionary. While model Study 1 stresses that examples positiveness, such as interested, excited, enthusiastic, inspired, facilitate alertness levels, which turn accelerate levels discovery, 2's sentiment analysis highlights significant difference between non-entrepreneurs’ word usage—successful tend use more than non-entrepreneurs. Our results aim inform inspire educators, policymakers, (potential) regarding how positiveness shapes alertness, promotes discovery potential new business ideas.