IPC Emotions

Defining Emotion

• Emotion: Intense reaction to an event involving:

  • Interpreting the meaning of the event

  • Physiological arousal

  • Labeling the experience as emotional

  • Managing reactions

  • Communicative displays and disclosures

• Key features:

  • Reactive

  • Physiological arousal

  • Awareness of emotion

  • Governed by norms

  • Communicative displays

Emotions vs. Moods vs. Feelings

• Feelings: Short-term, limited, lower arousal states. Example: concern, tension, hope, pleasure.

• Moods: Longer-term, lower intensity, not event-specific. Example: boredom, grouchiness, contentment.

Types of Emotions

• Primary Emotions:

  • Shared nonverbal displays across cultures.

  • Six primary emotions: Happy, sad, fear, anger, surprise, disgust.

  • Can experience mixed emotions (e.g., contempt = anger + disgust).

• Secondary Emotions:

  • Variable across cultures, no consistent nonverbal display.

  • Processed differently in the brain, less reactive than primary emotions.

Communication of Emotion

• Misattribution of Emotion:

  • Based on Schachter & Singer study (scary bridge).

• Emotion Sharing:

  • Share 75%-95% of emotional experiences with others.

• Emotional Contagion:

  • Emotions can transfer to others.

  • Use of emojis and other forms to communicate emotions in nonverbal environments.

Emotional Intelligence

• Ability to accurately interpret own and others’ emotions to:

  • Manage emotions

  • Communicate emotions

  • Solve relational problems

• Characteristics of emotionally intelligent individuals (High EQ):

  • Trusted by others.

  • Less likely to bully.

  • More forgiving.

• Hard to measure accurately; self-report tests reflect hindsight and relational closeness.

Display Rules

• Culturally derived norms for expressing emotions, varying across cultures and gender.

• Emotional reporting tendencies:

  • Women: more sadness, fear, shame, guilt.

  • Men: more anger, hostility, but intensity remains the same.

• Awareness of display rules enhances Interpersonal Communication (IPC).

Emotion Work

• Managing emotional experiences to meet societal expectations:

  • Surface Acting: Adjustments in external expressions without internal change, can lead to stress/burnout.

  • Deep Acting: Changes to both external and internal perceptions, associated with lower stress/burnout.

Emotion Management Strategies

• Suppression: Inhibiting emotional thoughts and displays.

• Venting: Allowing free expression of emotions, can be positive or negative.

• Prevention: Avoidance of emotional engagements and experiences.

• Reappraisal: Reframing events to spotlight positives and facilitating outcomes through communication.

Complex Emotions

• Passion: Blended emotion (e.g., surprise, joy)—peaks early in relationships but may lessen over time.

• Anger: Intense feeling often related to perceived unfairness in goal attainment; suppression may cause chronic hostility.

• Grief: Intense sadness following loss, lasting longer than most emotions, management varies by individual and culture.