Perceived intimacy of expressed emotion

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Norms surrounding emotional expression and self-disclosure influence interpersonal perceptions.
• Understanding these norms is crucial for comprehending relationship development and intimacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test hypotheses regarding the perceived intimacy of emotional self-disclosure.
• To investigate whether negative emotional disclosures are perceived as more intimate than positive ones.
• To examine if the intensity of emotional states impacts perceived intimacy.

Main Methods:

• Male students in Canada participated in the study.
• Participants rated the perceived intimacy of various self-disclosures.
• Self-disclosures were controlled for topic and covered a range of emotions and intensities.

Main Results:

• Both hypotheses were supported by the data.
• Negative emotional disclosures were perceived as more intimate than positive disclosures.
• More intense emotional states, both negative and positive, were rated as more intimate.

Conclusions:

• Emotional expression norms significantly shape perceptions of intimacy in self-disclosure.
• The valence and intensity of emotions disclosed are key factors in perceived intimacy.
• Findings hold across diverse disclosure topics and emotional ranges.