Revealing feelings: Facets of emotional expressivity in self-reports, peer ratings, and behavior.

Abstract

Drawing on an explicit model of emotion, we propose a multifaceted approach to emotional expressivity, defined as the behavioral (e.g., facial, postural) changes associated with emotion. Study 1 shows that self-reported expressivity has 3 facets (Impulse Strength, Negative Expressivity, Positive Expressivity). Study 2 shows that the same 3 facets emerge in peer ratings and that there are robust relations between self- and peer-rated expressivity. In Study 3, emotion-expressive behavior was videotaped and related to expressivity self-reports obtained several months earlier. As expected, Negative Expressivity predicted behavioral expressions of sadness (but not amusement), whereas Positive Expressivity predicted amusement (but not sadness). These relations remained even when subjective emotional experience and physiological response were controlled. These studies demonstrate the importance of a multifaceted approach to emotional expressivity and have implications for the understanding of personality and emotion.

Cites (5)

1. Significance tests and goodness of fit in the analysis of covariance structures.
   P. M. Bentler, Douglas G. Bonett · 1980 · Psychological Bulletin
2. A cognitive-affective system theory of personality: Reconceptualizing situations, dispositions, dynamics, and invariance in personality structure
   Mischel, Walter, Shoda, Yuichi · 1995 · Psychological Review
3. Hiding feelings: The acute effects of inhibiting negative and positive emotion
   Gross, James J., Levenson, Robert W. · 1997 · Journal of Abnormal Psychology
4. Voluntary Facial Action Generates Emotion‐Specific Autonomic Nervous System Activity
   Levenson, Robert W., Ekman, Paul, Friesen, Wallace V. · 1990 · Psychophysiology
5. Facets of emotional Expressivity: Three self-report factors and their correlates
   Gross, James J., John, Oliver P. · 1995 · Personality and Individual Differences

Show all 5 references

Cited by (37)

1. The emerging field of emotion regulation: an integrative review
   Gross, James J. · 1998 · Review of General Psychology
2. Antecedent- and response-focused emotion regulation: divergent consequences for experience, expression, and physiology.
   Gross, James J. · 1998 · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
3. Hiding feelings: The acute effects of inhibiting negative and positive emotion
   Gross, James J., Levenson, Robert W. · 1997 · Journal of Abnormal Psychology
4. The Tie That Binds? Coherence Among Emotion Experience, Behavior, and Physiology.
   Mauss, Iris B., Levenson, Robert W., McCarter, Loren, Wilhelm, Frank H., Gross, James J. · 2005 · Emotion
5. The affect system has parallel and integrative processing components: Form follows function.
   Cacioppo, John T., Gardner, Wendi L., Berntson, Gary G. · 1999 · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

See all 422