DOCSLIB.ORG

Acceptability and Suppression of Negative Emotion in Anxiety and Mood Disorders

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Acceptability and Suppression of Negative Emotion in Anxiety and Mood Disorders Emotion Copyright 2006 by the American Psychological Association 2006, Vol. 6, No. 4, 587–595 1528-3542/06/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/1528-3542.6.4.587 Acceptability and Suppression of Negative Emotion in Anxiety and Mood Disorders Laura Campbell-Sills David H. Barlow, Timothy A. Brown, and University of California, San Diego Stefan G. Hofmann Boston University The present study investigated perceived acceptability and suppression of negative emotion in partici- pants with anxiety and mood disorders. Sixty participants with these disorders and 30 control participants watched an emotion-provoking film and completed self-report measures of their experience and regu- lation of emotions. The film elicited similar increases in negative emotion for clinical and nonclinical participants; however, clinical participants judged their resulting emotions as less acceptable and suppressed their emotions to a greater extent. The higher level of suppression in the clinical group was attributable to females in the clinical group suppressing their emotions more than females in the nonclinical group. For all participants, high levels of suppression were associated with increased negative emotion during the film and during a postfilm recovery period. Further analyses showed that appraising emotions as unacceptable mediated the relationship between negative emotion intensity and use of suppression in the clinical group. This study extends the literature on emotion regulation to a clinical sample and suggests that judging emotions as unacceptable and suppressing emotions may be important aspects of the phenomenology of emotional disorders. Keywords: emotion regulation, acceptance, suppression, anxiety disorders, mood disorders Emotion regulation refers to conscious and unconscious pro- problems that incorporate mindfulness (Roemer & Orsillo, 2002; cesses that influence the occurrence, intensity, duration, and ex- Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2002) also discourage certain emo- pression of emotion (Gross, 2002). Despite the growing literature tion control efforts. More empirical research is needed to test the on emotion regulation in nonclinical samples and its potential assumptions about emotion regulation in clinical populations that relevance to emotional disorders, this topic has not been examined underlie these treatments. systematically in individuals with a history of psychopathology. Many theories and experimental findings pertaining to emotion Anxiety and mood disorders are characterized precisely by nega- regulation can be applied to understanding anxiety and mood tive emotions that have become excessive and persistent; therefore, disorders (e.g., Gross, 2002; Mennin, 2004; Nolen-Hoeksema, extending empirical research on emotion regulation to this popu- 2000; Tamir, 2005) and an exhaustive review will not be possible lation is warranted. here. It is notable that different emotion regulation strategies have Emotion regulation also has come to the forefront in the newest been shown to impact the subjective, physiological, and behavioral wave of behavioral therapies for anxiety and depression. For components of negative emotion in distinct ways. For example, example, the developers of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy both cognitive reappraisal and suppression have been shown to (ACT) have proposed that much psychological distress persists decrease the behavioral expression of negative emotion, but only due to maladaptive efforts to control negative emotions and other reappraisal decreases subjective distress (Gross, 1998). Moreover, unwanted experiences (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999). Novel emotion regulation strategies have varying effects on the temporal versions of cognitive–behavioral therapy for anxiety and mood course of emotions. Rumination has been shown to prolong epi- disorders (Barlow, Allen, & Choate, 2005) and treatments for these sodes of sadness, whereas distraction appears to shorten them (Nolen-Hoeksema & Morrow, 1993). Finally, habitual use of cer- tain emotion regulation strategies is meaningfully associated with Laura Campbell-Sills, Department of Psychiatry, University of Califor- interpersonal functioning and well being (Gross & John, 2003), nia, San Diego; David H. Barlow, Timothy A. Brown, and Stefan G. suggesting that some emotion regulation strategies may be “health- Hofmann, Department of Psychology, Boston University. ier” than others (John & Gross, 2004). All of these empirical This study is based on the first author’s dissertation, which was sup- findings may be relevant to understanding why negative emotions ported in part by the Clara Mayo Fellowship at Boston University. The first are excessive and persistent in anxiety and mood disorders; how- author was supported by National Institute of Mental Health Grant T32 ever, with the exception of establishing links between rumination MH 18399-19 during preparation of this article. The authors wish to and depressive disorders (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2000), the relation- acknowledge Tibor P. A. Palfai and Lizabeth Roemer for their contribu- tions. ship between emotion regulation strategies and clinical disorders Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Laura has yet to be explored. Campbell-Sills, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San One well-studied emotion regulation strategy that may have Diego, 8950 Villa La Jolla Drive, Suite B218, La Jolla, CA 92037. E-mail: particular relevance to anxiety and mood disorders is suppression. [email protected] Experimental studies have established that suppression reduces 587 588 CAMPBELL-SILLS, BARLOW, BROWN, AND HOFMANN behavioral expression of emotion compared to control conditions, this hypothesis, we presented a negative emotion-provoking film but does not decrease the subjective experience of negative emo- to a diagnostically heterogeneous sample of individuals seeking tion (Gross, 1998; Gross & Levenson, 1997). Moreover, suppres- treatment for anxiety and mood disorders (“clinical participants”). sion appears to increase the sympathetic arousal associated with We compared their self-reported negative emotions and emotion negative emotion (Gross, 1998; Gross & Levenson, 1997). In- regulation strategies to a control sample of individuals who had no creased sympathetic arousal is counterproductive to the goal of current or lifetime anxiety or mood disorders (“nonclinical partic- reducing the intensity of negative emotions like anxiety and anger ipants”). We predicted that the clinical participants would rate and may be especially problematic for individuals with anxiety themselves as engaging in higher degrees of suppression (but not disorders, who often fear the physical sensations associated with other regulation strategies) compared to nonclinical participants. sympathetic arousal (Reiss, Peterson, Gursky, & McNally, 1986). Although some investigations have focused solely on suppression Literature on thought and pain suppression further suggests that of the behavioral expression of emotion (e.g., Gross, 1998), we suppression may cause a paradoxical persistence of the unwanted assessed participants’ suppression of “emotional reactions,” which experience. In their classic study, Wegner, Schneider, Carter, and included the subjective experience of emotion. Recent conceptu- White (1987) demonstrated that attempts to suppress thoughts alizations of anxiety and mood disorders have emphasized the about a white bear were associated with an increase in such potential role of suppression of internal states (Barlow et al., 2004; thoughts during a postsuppression period in which participants Hayes et al., 1999); therefore we measured “emotion suppression” were free to think about any topic. Individuals instructed to use in general rather than “expressive suppression” in particular. suppression also experienced higher levels of pain after a cold- In addition to comparing the use of suppression in individuals pressor test compared to individuals instructed to use distraction or with and without emotional disorders, we sought to better under- to focus on the pain sensations (Cioffi & Holloway, 1993). These stand the possible predictors and consequences of using suppres- results raise the question of whether suppression could be associ- sion to regulate negative emotions. While external factors such as ated with a similar persistence of negative emotion after exposure interpersonal demands may increase the importance of suppressing to an emotional stimulus. emotion (e.g., a person might need to suppress anger at her boss), In addition to the immediate effects of suppression on the we hypothesized that use of suppression is further influenced by emotional response, habitual use of suppression is associated with internal factors, such as enduring beliefs about emotions (e.g., experiencing less positive emotion and greater negative emotion “Showing negative emotions is a sign of weakness.”) and acute overall, worse interpersonal functioning, and lesser well being appraisals of emotions (e.g., “Feeling sad right now is wrong.”). (Gross & John, 2003). These findings contrast with the profile of Judgments of the acceptability of emotions constitute one type of individuals who habitually use another strategy—cognitive reap- acute emotion appraisal that can be reliably measured (Mayer & praisal—to manage emotions. Reliance on cognitive reappraisal Gaschke, 1988; Mayer & Stevens, 1994) and may be functionally correlates with more positive emotion and less negative emotion related to emotion suppression.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • GELTMEIER-DISSERTATION-2021.Pdf (1.243Mb)
    EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PAIN AND PROSPECTIVE MEMORY by MAXINE KAYLEN GELTMEIER DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Texas at Arlington May, 2021 Arlington, Texas Supervising Committee: Dr. Perry Fuchs, Supervising Professor Dr. Hunter Ball Dr. Daniel Levine Dr. Angela Liegey-Dougall Dr. Matthew Robison ii Copyright by Maxine Kaylen Geltmeier 2021 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge Dr. Perry Fuchs for his continued support, advice, and encouragement. His guidance and reassurance gave me the confidence to be a more independent researcher. I am grateful to him for the life-changing opportunity he extended by providing his mentorship. I would also like to acknowledge the other impressive scholars on my dissertation committee. Their direction helped me to refine my work to a quality that I can be proud of. I would like to specifically acknowledge Dr. Angela Liegey-Dougall who has given me counsel multiple times throughout my graduate career. Her support and understanding helped to lift my spirits and motivate me during times where I was overwhelmed and uncertain. Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the outstanding staff and faculty of the psychology department. The culture of acceptance that everyone cultivates has made for an environment of growth and encouragement, of which I am truly thankful for. iv DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this work to my incredible family. To my parents for teaching me that hard work is rewarding and the perseverance takes patience. I always had confidence in myself because they had confidence in me.
    [Show full text]
  • Mindful Regulation of Positive Emotions: a Comparison with Reappraisal and Expressive Suppression
    ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE published: 24 March 2014 doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00243 Mindful regulation of positive emotions: a comparison with reappraisal and expressive suppression Fanny Lalot 1,2 *, Sylvain Delplanque1,3 and David Sander1,3 1 Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland 2 Distance Learning University of Switzerland, Brig, Switzerland 3 Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland Edited by: It is often acknowledged that mindfulness facilitates emotion regulation on a long-term Raffael Kalisch, Johannes Gutenberg scale. Only few empirical studies support the hypothesis that even a brief mindfulness University Medical Center Mainz, Germany induction among subjects without previous experience of meditation allows an effective Reviewed by: reduction of both positive and negative emotions. To the best of our knowledge, this Kenneth Sung Lai Yuen, University hypothesis has never been tested when comparing mindfulness to other regulation Medical Centre Mainz, Germany strategies known to be effective.The current study investigates the effects of mindfulness, Sandra Schönfelder, reappraisal and expressive suppression during the regulation of positive emotions. Forty- Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germany five participants without previous meditation experience watched four positive video clips *Correspondence: while applying a specific regulation strategy: mindful attention, reappraisal, expressive Fanny Lalot, Faculty of Psychology suppression or no strategy (control condition). Video clips were matched for intensity and and Educational Sciences, University positive emotions index. Each of them was evaluated on two dimensions, valence (nega- of Geneva, 40 Boulevard du Pont tive/positive) and arousal (calming/exciting). Moreover, participants’ facial expressions were d’Arve, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland e-mail: [email protected] recorded during the presentation of the video clips.
    [Show full text]
  • Expressive Suppression to Pain in Others Reduces Negative Emotion but Not Vicarious Pain in the Observer
    Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-021-00873-1 Expressive suppression to pain in others reduces negative emotion but not vicarious pain in the observer Steven R. Anderson1 & Wenxin Li2 & Shihui Han2 & Elizabeth A. Reynolds Losin1 Accepted: 31 January 2021 # The Psychonomic Society, Inc. 2021 Abstract Although there are situations where it may be appropriate to reduce one’s emotional response to the pain of others, the impact of an observer’s emotional expressivity on their response to pain in others is still not well understood. In the present study, we examined how the emotion regulation strategy expressive suppression influences responses to pain in others. Based on prior research findings on expressive suppression and pain empathy, we hypothesized that expressive suppression to pain expression faces would reduce neural representations of negative emotion, vicarious pain, or both. To test this, we applied two multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA)-derived neural signatures to our data, the Picture Induced Negative Emotion Signature (PINES; Chang, Gianaros, Manuck, Krishnan, and Wager (2015)) and a neural signature of facial expression induced vicarious pain (Zhou et al., 2020). In a sample of 60 healthy individuals, we found that viewing pain expression faces increased neural representations of negative emotion and vicarious pain. However, expressive suppression to pain faces reduced neural representations of negative emotion only. Providing support for a connection between neural representations of negative emotion and pain empathy, PINES responses to pain faces were associated with participants’ trait-level empathy and the perceived unpleasantness of pain faces. Findings suggest that a consequence of suppressing one’s facial expressions in response to the pain of others may be a reduction in the affective aspect of empathy but not the experience of vicarious pain itself.
    [Show full text]
  • Is Expressive Suppression Always Associated with Poorer Psychological Functioning? a Cross-Cultural Comparison Between European Americans and Hong Kong Chinese
    Emotion © 2011 American Psychological Association 2011, Vol. 11, No. 6, 1450–1455 1528-3542/11/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/a0023340 BRIEF REPORT Is Expressive Suppression Always Associated With Poorer Psychological Functioning? A Cross-Cultural Comparison Between European Americans and Hong Kong Chinese Jose´ A. Soto and Christopher R. Perez Young-Hoon Kim Pennsylvania State University University of Pennsylvania Elizabeth A. Lee and Mark R. Minnick Pennsylvania State University The habitual use of expressive suppression as an emotion regulation strategy has been consistently linked to adverse outcomes in a number of domains, including psychological functioning. The present study aimed to uncover whether the suppression–health relationship is dependent on cultural context, given differing cultural norms surrounding the value of suppressing emotional displays. We hypothesized that the negative associations between suppression and psychological functioning seen in European Ameri- cans would not be seen among members of East Asian cultures, in which emotional restraint is relatively encouraged over emotional expression. To test this hypothesis, we asked 71 European American students and 100 Chinese students from Hong Kong to report on their use of expressive suppression, life satisfaction, and depressed mood. A moderation analysis revealed that expressive suppression was associated with adverse psychological functioning for European Americans, but not for Chinese partic- ipants. These findings highlight the importance of context in understanding the suppression–health relationship. Keywords: suppression, life satisfaction, depression, culture, emotion regulation Expressive suppression (hereinafter suppression) refers to the samples were available, cultural moderations have not been re- “conscious inhibition of one’s own emotionally expressive behav- ported. ior while emotionally aroused” (Gross & Levenson, 1993, p.
    [Show full text]
  • The Social Consequences of Expressive Suppression
    Emotion Copyright 2003 by the American Psychological Association, Inc. 2003, Vol. 3, No. 1, 48–67 1528-3542/03/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/1528-3542.3.1.48 The Social Consequences of Expressive Suppression Emily A. Butler Boris Egloff Stanford University Johannes Gutenberg-Universita¨t Mainz Frank H. Wilhelm, Nancy C. Smith, Elizabeth A. Erickson, and James J. Gross Stanford University At times, people keep their emotions from showing during social interactions. The authors’ analysis suggests that such expressive suppression should disrupt commu- nication and increase stress levels. To test this hypothesis, the authors conducted 2 studies in which unacquainted pairs of women discussed an upsetting topic. In Study 1, one member of each pair was randomly assigned to (a) suppress her emotional behavior, (b) respond naturally, or (c) cognitively reappraise in a way that reduced emotional responding. Suppression alone disrupted communication and magnified blood pressure responses in the suppressors’ partners. In Study 2, suppression had a negative impact on the regulators’ emotional experience and increased blood pressure in both regulators and their partners. Suppression also reduced rapport and inhibited relationship formation. It occasionally seems desirable to reduce or even suppression. It has been systematically studied both in entirely suppress emotional expressions that arise dur- solitary situations (Gross, 1998a; Gross & Levenson, ing our interactions with others. For example, when a 1993, 1997; Richards & Gross, 1999, 2000) and in friend angers us, we may try to prevent further con- noninteractive social situations such as being ob- flict by suppressing our outward signs of anger until served by strangers (Harris, 2001).
    [Show full text]
  • FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY PREDICTS SUPPRESSION Functional Connectivity Predicts the Dispositional Use of Expressive Suppression Bu
    FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY PREDICTS SUPPRESSION 1 Functional connectivity predicts the dispositional use of expressive suppression but not cognitive reappraisal Daisy A. Burr*, Tracy d’Arbeloff*, Maxwell L. Elliott, Annchen R. Knodt, Bartholomew D. Brigidi & Ahmad R. Hariri Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University Box 104410, Durham, NC 27708, USA Correspondence: [email protected] *These authors contributed equally to this work. FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY PREDICTS SUPPRESSION 2 Abstract Previous research has identified specific brain regions associated with regulating emotion using common strategies such as expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal. However, most research focuses on a priori regions and directs participants how to regulate, which may not reflect how people naturally regulate outside the laboratory. Here, we used a data-driven approach to investigate how individual differences in distributed intrinsic functional brain connectivity predict emotion regulation tendency. Specifically, we used connectome-based predictive modeling to extract functional connections in the brain significantly related to the dispositional use of suppression and reappraisal. These edges were then used in a predictive model and cross-validated in novel participants to identify a neural signature that reflects individual differences in the tendency to suppress and reappraise emotion. We found a significant neural signature for the dispositional use of suppression, but not reappraisal. Within this whole-brain signature, the intrinsic connectivity of the default mode network was most informative of suppression tendency. In addition, the predictive performance of this model was significant in males, but not females. These findings help inform how whole-brain networks of functional connectivity characterize how people tend to regulate emotion outside the laboratory.
    [Show full text]
  • Neuroanatomy of Expressive Suppression: the Role of the Insula
    HHS Public Access Author manuscript Author ManuscriptAuthor Manuscript Author Emotion Manuscript Author . Author manuscript. Manuscript Author Neuroanatomy of Expressive Suppression: The Role of the Insula Luma Muhtadie1, Claudia M. Haase2, Alice Verstaen1, Virginia E. Sturm3, Bruce L. Miller3, Robert W. Levenson1 1University of California, Berkeley 2Northwestern University 3University of California, San Francisco Abstract Expressive suppression is a response-focused regulatory strategy aimed at concealing the outward expression of emotion that is already underway. Expressive suppression requires the integration of interoception, proprioception, and social awareness to guide behavior in alignment with personal and interpersonal goals—all processes known to involve the insular cortex. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) provides a useful patient model for studying the insula’s role in socioemotional regulation. The insula is a key target of early atrophy in FTD, causing patients to lose the ability to represent the salience of internal and external conditions, and to use these representations to guide behavior. We examined a sample of 59 patients with FTD, 52 patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and 38 neurologically healthy controls. Subjects viewed two disgust-eliciting films in the laboratory. During the first film, subjects were instructed to simply watch (emotional reactivity trial); during the second, they were instructed to hide their emotions (expressive suppression trial). Structural images from a subsample of participants (n=42; 11 FTD patients, 11 AD patients, and 20 controls) were examined in conjunction with behavior. FreeSurfer was used to quantify regional gray matter volume in 41 empirically derived neural regions in both hemispheres. Of the three groups studied, FTD patients showed the least expressive suppression and had the smallest insula volumes and, even after controlling for age, gender, and emotional reactivity.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter Six: the Relationship Between Perfectionism and Contingencies Of
    promoting access to White Rose research papers Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ This is an author produced version of a paper published in Motivation and Emotion. White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/78678/ Paper: Hill, AP and Davis, PA (2014) Perfectionism and emotion regulation in coaches: A test of the 2 × 2 model of dispositional perfectionism. Motivation and Emotion. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11031-014-9404-7 White Rose Research Online [email protected] Running head: PERFECTIONISM AND EMOTION REGULATION 1 1 Hill, A. P. & Davis, P. (in press). Perfectionism and Emotion Regulation in Coaches: A Test of 2 the 2 × 2 Model of Dispositional Perfectionism. Motivation and Emotion. Accepted for 3 publication 06-03-2014. 4 5 6 7 8 9 Perfectionism and Emotion Regulation in Coaches: A Test of the 2 × 2 Model of 10 Dispositional Perfectionism 11 12 Andrew P. Hill 13 University of Leeds, UK 14 Paul A. Davis 15 Northumbria University, UK 16 17 18 19 Author Note 20 Andrew P. Hill, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds; Paul A. Davis, Faculty 21 of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University. 22 23 Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Andrew Hill, Faculty of 24 Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK. 25 E-mail: [email protected] Running head: PERFECTIONISM AND EMOTION REGULATION 2 1 Abstract 2 The manner in which coaches regulate their emotions has implications for their 3 performance and well-being.
    [Show full text]
  • Emotion Suppression Reduces Hippocampal Activity During Successful Memory Encoding
    NeuroImage 63 (2012) 525–532 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect NeuroImage journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ynimg Emotion suppression reduces hippocampal activity during successful memory encoding Julia Binder a,b,c,⁎, Dominique J.-F. de Quervain d, Malte Friese e, Roger Luechinger f, Peter Boesiger f, Björn Rasch a,g,h,⁎⁎ a Division of Biopsychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland b Division of Gerontopsychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland c International Normal Aging and Plasticity Imaging Center (INAPIC), Zurich, Switzerland d Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Basel, Switzerland e Division of Social Psychology, University of Basel, Switzerland f Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Switzerland g Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ), University and ETH Zurich, Switzerland h Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Switzerland article info abstract Article history: People suppressing their emotions while facing an emotional event typically remember it less well. However, Accepted 6 July 2012 the neural mechanisms underlying the impairing effect of emotion suppression on successful memory Available online 14 July 2012 encoding are not well understood. Because successful memory encoding relies on the hippocampus and the amygdala, we hypothesized that memory impairments due to emotion suppression are associated with Keywords: down-regulated activity in these brain areas. 59 healthy females were instructed either to simply watch the Emotion suppression pictures or to down-regulate their emotions by using a response-focused emotion suppression strategy. Memory Hippocampus Brain activity was recorded using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and free recall of pictures fMRI was tested afterwards. As expected, suppressing one's emotions resulted in impaired recall of the pictures.
    [Show full text]
  • Anger Suppression in Late Childhood
    Sarah Lawrence College DigitalCommons@SarahLawrence Child Development Theses Child Development Graduate Program 12-2020 Anger Suppression in Late Childhood Dana Williams Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.slc.edu/child_development_etd Part of the Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Williams, Dana, "Anger Suppression in Late Childhood" (2020). Child Development Theses. 43. https://digitalcommons.slc.edu/child_development_etd/43 This Thesis - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Child Development Graduate Program at DigitalCommons@SarahLawrence. It has been accepted for inclusion in Child Development Theses by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@SarahLawrence. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ANGER SUPPRESSION 1 ANGER SUPPRESSION IN LATE CHILDHOOD A CASE ANALYSIS Dana Williams December 2020 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Child Development Sarah Lawrence College ANGER SUPPRESSION 2 Abstract Research on anger in childhood typically refers to “difficult” children. In academic, social, and family settings, anger is not being addressed unless it is causing a noticeable disturbance such as screaming and/or hitting. The negative attention associated with anger expression is part of the socialization of anger. Society has labeled anger as a negative emotion and this view leads to the suppression of this emotion to avoid negative attention. The literature on emotions in childhood highlights the negative outcomes that emotional suppression can create. A child’s expression of emotions is a combination of their external environment and their ability to regulate their emotions. This thesis will explore a case in which a child is afraid to express his anger and displays as fearful and sad.
    [Show full text]
  • University of Nevada, Reno Effects of Anger Expressive Suppression On
    University of Nevada, Reno Effects of Anger Expressive Suppression on Cardiac Response A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Biology and the Honors Program by Nadia V. Manivong Dr. Anthony Papa Ph. D., Thesis Advisor Dr. Matthew Boland Ph. D., Thesis Co-Advisor May 2017 UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA THE HONORS PROGRAM RENO We recommend that the thesis prepared under our supervision by NADIA V. MANIVONG entitled Effects of Anger Expressive Suppression on Cardiac Response be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of BACHELOR OF SCIENCE ______________________________________________ Dr. Anthony Papa Ph. D., Thesis Advisor ______________________________________________ Dr. Matthew Boland Ph. D., Thesis Co-Advisor ______________________________________________ Tamara Valentine, Ph. D., Director, Honors Program May 2017 i Abstract Previous research lacked clarity on how expressive suppression of anger affects human well-being. Maladaptive regulation of emotion has been linked to mental, behavioral, and physiological health (Hopp, Troy, & Mauss, 2011; Cisler, Olatunji, Feldner, & Forsyth, 2010; Mauss & Gross 2004). The main purpose of this study is to determine how cardiac response, specifically cardiac interbeat intervals (IBI), alter when suppressing expression of anger. Twenty undergraduate students were recruited from the University of Nevada, Reno and were randomly assigned to one of two experimental groups: those instructed to suppress any facial expressions that indicate emotional arousal and those instructed to pay attention in response to an anger-induction. The stimulation of anger involved negatively criticizing participants on a writing task they were instructed to complete, using harsh and derogatory language. The results from the study revealed that expressive suppression of anger decreases cardiac responding.
    [Show full text]
  • UC Berkeley Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    UC Berkeley UC Berkeley Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Managing Intergroup Emotions: How Intergroup Ideologies and Emotion Regulation Can Stifle Positive Emotions and Intergroup Friendships Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/00t7z3cj Author O'Connor, Alexander Publication Date 2012 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Managing Intergroup Emotions: How Intergroup Ideologies and Emotion Regulation Can Stifle Positive Emotions and Intergroup Friendships By Alexander OConnor A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton, Chair Professor Oliver P. John Professor Victoria C. Plaut Professor Robert B. Willer Spring 2012 Abstract Managing Intergroup Emotions: How Intergroup Ideologies and Emotion Regulation Can Stifle Positive Emotions and Intergroup Friendships by Alexander OConnor Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology University of California, Berkeley Professor Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton, Chair In interracial settings, a chief concern among majority group members is whether they appear prejudiced. These concerns often elicit feelings of anxiety and threat, which, ironically, run the risk of being interpreted as prejudice. One of the challenges majority group members face in intergroup interactions is the regulation of these negative emotions. Drawing on Gross's (1998, 2002) emotion regulation framework, I examine individual differences in how people manage negative emotions during intergroup encounters. I investigate whether a particular costly emotion regulation strategy, expressive suppression , is used by majority group members to limit intergroup emotional expressions, and in particular, used by individuals espousing colorblind ideologies that seek to avoid the perception, acknowledgement, and use of race.
    [Show full text]