Whether Emotions are Engaging or Disengaging Depends on Relationship Functions

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Cultural Psychology
• Emotion Science

Background:

• Emotions are categorized as socially engaging (interdependence-affirming) or disengaging (independence-affirming).
• These emotions differ across cultures based on self-construal, but relationship functions also vary within cultures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how Americans experience, express, and perceive eight emotions in communal and transactional relationships.
• To assess the engaging and functional nature of these emotions within different relationship types.

Main Methods:

• Four studies with American participants (N=1450).
• Participants reported on experiencing, expressing, and perceiving emotions in communal and transactional relationships.
• Emotions were evaluated for their engaging and functional qualities.

Main Results:

• Engaging (respect, guilt) and disengaging (pride, anger) emotions were more frequent in communal relationships.
• Empathic joy, empathic sadness, hurt, and love were more perceived/expressed in communal relationships.
• Emotions were judged more engaging and functional in communal relationships; expressing them in transactional relationships was seen as disengaging.

Conclusions:

• The perceived "engaging" or "disengaging" nature of emotions depends on their fulfillment of specific relationship social functions.
• Findings highlight the context-dependent social functions of emotions within distinct relationship types.