Suppressing versus expressing anger influences person perceptions of warmth and competence

Expressive suppression is often considered a maladaptive emotion regulation strategy given its negative effects on psychological and physiological outcomes. However, expressive suppression may help fulfill impression management goals, offsetting some intrapersonal costs. The present research considers this question by examining impressions of others who suppress versus express anger across a large range of situations. Across seven studies conducted between the spring of 2023 and the spring of 2024, participants (n = 2,613; 47.88% women; 67.39% White; 10.07% Black; 8.30% Asian; 7.77% bi/multiracial; 5.32% Hispanic/Latine; 0.77% other; 0.34% Native American or American Indian) read vignettes about people responding angrily or suppressing anger in response to public confrontations. Overall, results revealed that targets who suppressed (vs. expressed) anger were perceived as warmer and more competent. Further, mediation analyses demonstrated that participants were more likely to ascribe more sophisticated minds to targets who suppressed (vs. expressed) anger, which was, in turn, related to warmth and competence perceptions (Study 3). Taken together, participants had more positive regard for anger suppressors than anger expressors, and these effects were generally not qualified by context or by target race or gender. These results suggest that apparently personally maladaptive suppression strategies might trade off against the interpersonal benefits of suppressing situationally inappropriate emotions such as anger. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).