The social consequences of expressive suppression.

Abstract

At times, people keep their emotions from showing during social interactions. The authors' analysis suggests that such expressive suppression should disrupt communication and increase stress levels. To test this hypothesis, the authors conducted 2 studies in which unacquainted pairs of women discussed an upsetting topic. In Study 1, one member of each pair was randomly assigned to (a) suppress her emotional behavior, (b) respond naturally, or (c) cognitively reappraise in a way that reduced emotional responding. Suppression alone disrupted communication and magnified blood pressure responses in the suppressors' partners. In Study 2, suppression had a negative impact on the regulators' emotional experience and increased blood pressure in both regulators and their partners. Suppression also reduced rapport and inhibited relationship formation.

Individual differences in gelotophobia and responses to laughter-eliciting emotions

“…and showing more contempt) may have detrimental effects on social interactions (Butler, Egloff, Wilhelm, Smith, Erickson, & Gross, 2003;Keltner & Bonnano, 1997;Keltner & Kring, 1998).…”

Prosocial knowledge mediates effects of agreeableness and emotional intelligence on prosocial behavior

“…Second, individuals low in emotion management are more likely to suppress their moods and to refrain from expressing their emotions, which can reduce cognitive resources that could be otherwise contribute to effective job performance (Butler et al, 2003).…”

Developing Emotion-Aware, Advanced Learning Technologies: A Taxonomy of Approaches and Features

“…The most popular and empirically supported emotional regulation strategies are those associated with cognitive change (i.e., modifying appraisals; Pekrun and Perry 2014), and reappraisal in particular (Butler et al 2003;Gross 1998;Gross and John 2003;Leroy et al 2012;McCrae et al 2012). In an educational context, reappraisal involves construing a potentially emotion-eliciting situation in a manner that will either up-or down 2 -regulate a learner's emotions (Hall et al 2006a;Hall et al 2006b;Hall 2008).…”

“…This type of emotion regulation approach involves targeting the emotion itself, and trying to suppress it. Direct-system delivered prompts can be used to request that learners avoid expressing the way they feel or ignore their emotion, although these tend to be ineffective, heighten arousal, and are detrimental to learning and social interactions, the latter having negative implications for social emotions (Butler et al 2003;Chauncey-Strain and D'Mello 2015;Gross 2015;Levenson 1993, 1997). As such, we agree with Duckworth et al (2014) assertion that it is a strategy that is Bhardly strategic at all^(pp.…”