MHW2 Interpersonal emotion dynamics

Page 1: Interpersonal Emotion Dynamics

• Course: PS51019A Mental Health and Wellbeing Module 1 Block 2

• Instructor: Diana Omigie

Page 2: Lecture Schedule

• Week 1

  • Lecture 1: What is an emotion?

  • Lecture 2: Biology of emotion

  • Lecture 3: The emotional brain

• Week 2

  • Seminar 1: Development of emotion

  • Lecture 1: Interpersonal emotion dynamics

  • Seminar 2: Behavioral experiment

• Week 3

  • Lecture 1: Emotion regulation

  • Seminar 1: Individual differences in emotional experiences

  • Lecture 2: Motivation

Page 3: Learning Outcomes

• Ability to describe and illustrate three types of interpersonal affective dynamics:

  • Synchrony

  • Transmission

  • Co-regulation

• Consider the interpersonal functions of emotional expressions, such as tears.

Page 4: The Experience of Emotions

• Definition: Emotions are dynamic systems made up of three components:

  • Subjective experience

  • Expressive behavior

  • Physiology

• Interpersonal Nature: Emotions predominantly occur in social contexts and involve interpersonal dimensions.

Page 5: Emotions as Social

• Key Concepts from Parkinson (1996):

  • Emotions emerge through direct interactions, not just private interpretations.

  • Interpersonal factors cause emotions, influencing social engagement or retreat.

Page 6: Interpersonal Processes

• Butler (2011) on Interpersonal Emotion Systems:

  • Emotional responses are affected by social interactions, affecting both individuals simultaneously.

  • Relevant to various types of relationships:

    • Parent–child

    • Adult romantic

    • Therapist–client

    • Families

    • Work groups and peer groups

Page 7: Interpersonal Processes

• Butler (2015) identifies various interpersonal emotional dynamics:

  • Synchrony: Emotions rising and falling in unison.

  • Transmission: Emotions influencing each other over time.

  • Co-regulation: Emotional convergence or divergence of partners' emotions.

Page 8: Synchrony

• Definition: Simultaneously experiencing the same stimuli and emotional reactions.

• Examples: Watching a film together may lead to shared emotional experiences and co-construction of emotional meaning.

Page 9: Synchrony Research

• Anderson et al. (2003) observed that dating partners and college roommates develop similar emotional responses over time.

Page 10: Power Dynamics in Synchrony

• Study Findings:

  • Participants with less power in relationships adapt their emotions more to their partners.

  • Cross-lagged correlations indicated significant emotional convergence based on power dynamics.

Page 11: Cohesion in Relationships

• Findings by Anderson et al. (2003) showed that partners with similar emotional responses have stronger relationship cohesion and lower dissolution rates.

Page 12: Explanations for Emotional Convergence

• Factors influencing convergence:

  • Similar appraisal patterns

  • Responding similarly even when apart

  • Emotional contagion in close relationships with shared goals.

• Appraisal Theories (Citations): Arnold (1960), Lazarus (1991), etc.

Page 13: Transmission

• Definition: Responding to others' emotional states and behaviors impacting future feelings.

Page 14: Marital Satisfaction Study

• Levenson & Gottman (1983) examined physiological and affective patterns in marital satisfaction among 30 couples:

  • Measured multiple physiological responses to establish affect reciprocity.

Page 15: Findings on Marital Satisfaction

• Key Results:

  • 60% of marital satisfaction variance was linked to physiological patterns.

  • Distressed couples demonstrated greater linkage and reciprocity of negative affect.

Page 16: Parental Influence on Children

• Snyder et al. (2003): Studied impact of parental responses on children's anger and antisocial behaviors:

  • Coded anger displays and assessed antisocial behavior longitudinally.

Page 17: Child Anger Predictors

• Findings indicated that parents' emotional responses significantly influenced children's anger and behaviors.

Page 18: Interpersonal Emotional Regulation

• People often seek to manage their partner's emotions, which can be both conscious and unconscious.

• Examples:

  • Positive: Holding hands to reduce stress.

  • Negative: Co-rumination leading to increased anxiety.

Page 19: Emotional Regulation Variability

• Dixon-Gordon et al. (2015) noted that emotional regulation varies by:

  • Target: Self vs. Others

  • Intention: Intentional vs. Unintentional

Page 20: Study on Emotion Regulation

• Levy-Gigi & Shamay-Tsoory (2017):

  • Examined effectiveness of inter-partner vs. self-regulated strategies on distress reduction.

Page 21: Effective Regulation Strategies

• Findings: Regulatory strategies chosen by partners are more effective in reducing distress than personal strategies when the partner has an understanding perspective.

Page 22: Function of Gratitude

• Chang et al. (2022): Explored gratitude interactions within couples and its impact on relationship satisfaction:

  • Situational gratitude uniquely predicted increases in relationship satisfaction.

Page 23: Function of Tears

• Zickfeld et al. (2021): Emotional crying can trigger social support intentions from others.

Page 24: Role of Empathy

• Empathy involves sharing or responding appropriately to another's emotional states.

• Techniques measure responses to stimuli depicting emotions.

Page 25: Empathy and Interpersonal Regulation

• Geiger et al. (2024): Found that facets of empathy correlate with interpersonal emotional regulation goals.

Page 26: Mirroring and Competence

• Pfeifer et al. (2008): Studied the mirror neuron system's role in children's empathy and interpersonal skills.

Page 27: Relationship Between MNS Activity and Social Skills

• MNS activity was positively correlated with children's empathetic behavior and interpersonal competence measures.

Page 28: Summary

• Emotions are primarily social and driven by interpersonal dynamics, including synchrony, transmission, and co-regulation.

• Emotional expressions have significant effects on relationships, and empathy plays a crucial role in emotional regulation.

Page 29: Essential Reading

• Butler (2015). Interpersonal affect dynamics: It takes two (and time) to tango. Emotion Review, 7(4), 336-341.

Page 30: Recommended Reading

• Additional studies for deeper understanding of interpersonal emotions and dynamics.

Page 31: References

• Comprehensive citations for the studies mentioned in the lectures, including significant research by Butler, Levenson & Gottman, etc.

Page 32: Additional References

• Further readings supporting the concepts discussed.