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Happy affect and smiling: is their relation moderated by interpersonal power?
Judith A Hall1, Terrence G Horgan
1Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA. hall1@neu.edu
Emotion (Washington, D.C.)
|September 23, 2003
Summary
Interpersonal power does not change the link between feeling happy and smiling during conversations. Both high-power and low-power individuals show similar positive relationships between happy affect and smiling.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Nonverbal Communication
- Emotion Regulation
Background:
- Previous research suggests social power influences emotional expression.
- The specific relationship between happy affect and smiling across different power levels requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if interpersonal power moderates the association between happy affect and smiling during dyadic interactions.
- To examine how experimentally manipulated power influences the expression of positive emotions.
Main Methods:
- Three experimental studies were conducted manipulating interpersonal power.
- Participants' smiling behavior was observed during dyadic interactions.
- Self-reported happy affect was measured post-interaction.
Main Results:
- A positive correlation was found between happy affect and smiling for both low-power and high-power participants.
- This positive relationship remained consistent regardless of the power manipulation.
- Results were comparable to previous findings where power was not salient.
Conclusions:
- Interpersonal power does not moderate the relationship between happy affect and smiling.
- The positive association between feeling happy and smiling is robust across different social power contexts.
- Social power does not alter the fundamental link between positive emotions and their outward expression.