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Cited by 166Emotions and Moral BehaviorHeart Rate Variability and Autonomic ControlDeception detection and forensic psychology

Cardiovascular responses of embarrassment and effects of emotional suppression in a social setting

Harris, Christine R.·2001·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
DOI 10.1037/0022-3514.81.5.886
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Abstract

The cardiovascular effects of embarrassment and of attempts to suppress embarrassment were examined. In 2 studies, embarrassment was associated with substantial increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, which monotonically increased over a 2-minute embarrassment period. In contrast, heart rate (HR) rose significantly during the 1st minute of embarrassment but returned to baseline levels during the 2nd minute. This pattern of reactivity may be distinctive. The effects of trying to suppress emotion in an interpersonal situation were also tested. Relative to the no-suppression group, suppression participants showed greater blood pressure during embarrassment and during posttask recovery. Suppression did not significantly affect HR. Possible mechanisms for these results, including passive coping, are discussed. Nonverbal behavior was also examined.

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Crossref · 10.1037/0022-3514.81.5.886

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  • Suppressing visible signs of embarrassment leads to enhanced blood pressure responses but does not affect emotion experience reports.

    “Similarly, Harris ~ 2001 ! has found that suppressing visible signs of embarrassment leads to enhanced blood pressure responses, but does not affect emotion experience reports.”

    From Emotion regulation: affective, cognitive, and social consequences. (2002) · cites this paper as Harris, 2001

  • Sympathetic activation was found to be reduced by suppression in comparison to non-suppression, but suppression seems less effective in sympathetic downregulation than other ER strategies.

    “Sympathetic activation was found to be reduced by suppression in comparison to non-suppression (but see [11]), but seems to be less effective in sympathetic downregulation than other ER strategies (e.g., [12,13]).”

    From Effects of differential strategies of emotion regulation (2019) · cites this paper as [12]

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Authors
Harris, C. R.
Affiliations
University of California San Diego (US)
Corresponding author
Harris, Christine R.
Venue
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
2001
Volume
81
Issue
5
Pages
886-897
ISSN
  • 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1315
DOI
10.1037/0022-3514.81.5.886
OpenAlex
W2009647991
Cited by
166
References
70
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 7
FWCI
3.28
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Deception detection and forensic psychology
Keywords
embarrassment, emotional suppression, cardiovascular reactivity, blood pressure, heart rate, social stress, interpersonal situations, passive coping, nonverbal behavior, emotion regulation
MeSH terms
Blood Pressure, Emotions, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Male, Surveys and Questionnaires, Random Allocation, Self-Assessment, Shame, Social Environment, Time Factors

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