Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

The Stranger effect: the rejection of affective deviants.

Lauren Szczurek1, Benoît Monin, James J Gross

  • 1Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. laurensz@stanford.edu

Psychological Science
|September 11, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Violating social expectations for emotional expression leads to negative judgments and social distance. People perceive emotional deviants as lacking shared moral values, influencing avoidance intentions.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Handling the Ups and Downs of Adolescence: The Role of Emotion Regulation Repertoires.

Affective science·2026
Same author

Alexithymia and ill-being and well-being: The role of emotion regulation.

Emotion (Washington, D.C.)·2026
Same author

Spirituality and resilience among West Point cadets: The mediating role of emotional integration.

Military psychology : the official journal of the Division of Military Psychology, American Psychological Association·2026
Same author

A socially assistive robot to support mental wellbeing in LGBTQ+ young people at risk of self-harm: a randomized controlled trial.

Nature medicine·2026
Same author

Research Review: Emotion regulation in individuals with intellectual disability - an integrative review.

Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines·2026
Same author

Emotion Regulation Mediates the Link Between Exposure to Childhood Adversity and Transdiagnostic Symptom Domains in Youth.

JAACAP open·2026

Area of Science:

  • Social Psychology
  • Affective Science
  • Moral Psychology

Background:

  • Normative expectations govern emotional displays.
  • Deviations from these affective norms can impact social perception and judgment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the social consequences of displaying emotions that deviate from normative expectations.
  • To examine how flat, incongruent, and congruent affective displays influence social judgment and interpersonal distance.

Main Methods:

  • Participants evaluated target individuals exhibiting different affective expressions (flat, incongruent, congruent) in response to emotional stimuli.
  • Social judgment dimensions, social distance preferences, moral outrage, and perceived shared moral values were assessed.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Affective deviants were rated more negatively across social judgment dimensions compared to normative targets.
  • Greater social distance and more moral outrage were reported towards affective deviants.
  • Incongruent affect led to more negative judgments than flat affect, moderated by stimulus valence.
  • Perceived shared moral values mediated the relationship between affective expressions and avoidant intentions.

Conclusions:

  • Deviating from affective norms incurs significant interpersonal costs, including negative social judgment and increased social distance.
  • Affective norms are powerful in shaping social interactions and perceptions of moral alignment.
  • Understanding affective deviance is crucial for comprehending social norm enforcement and interpersonal dynamics.