The social consequences of expressive suppression
Open accessAbstract
At times, people keep their emotions from showing during social interactions. The authors' analysis suggests that such expressive suppression should disrupt communication 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.
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When one member of a female dyad was instructed to suppress her emotions while discussing an upsetting topic, her conversation partner experienced less rapport and was less willing to affiliate with her.
“In a series of experiments, when one member of a female dyad was instructed to suppress her emotions while discussing an upsetting topic, her conversation partner experienced less rapport and was less willing to affiliate with her (Butler et al. 2003).”
From The Social Effects of Emotions (2022) · cites this paper as Butler et al. 2003
The behavior of masking one's true feelings has been demonstrated to lead to negative reactions from others in social encounters.
“The behavior of masking one's true feelings has been demonstrated to lead to negative reactions from others in social encounters (139–141).”
From MDMA-Assisted Therapy as a Means to Alter Affective, Cognitive, Behavioral, and Neurological Systems Underlying Social Dysfunction in Social Anxiety Disorder (2021) · cites this paper as [139]
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References 84 · Cited by 1,400
- Authors
- Butler, E. A., Egloff, B., Wlhelm, F. H., Smith, N. C., Erickson, E. A., & Gross, J. J.
- Affiliations
- Stanford University (US)
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (DE)
- Venue
- Emotion
- Published
- 2003-03
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 48-67
- ISSN
- 1528-3542 (ISSN-L)
- 1931-1516
- OpenAlex
- W2123937752
- Cited by
- 1,400
- References
- 84
- Citations by year
- 2026: 53 · 2025: 58 · 2024: 57 · 2023: 59 · 2022: 95 · 2021: 79 · 2020: 120 · 2019: 95 · 2018: 93 · 2017: 69 · 2016: 81 · 2015: 76 · 2014: 77 · 2013: 87 · 2012: 70
- FWCI
- 19.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- Emotion (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- edoc (University of Basel) (acceptedVersion)
- edoc (University of Basel)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- expressive suppression, emotion regulation, cognitive reappraisal, interpersonal communication, stress, blood pressure, social stress, relationship formation, rapport, emotional expression
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Adult, Arousal, Blood Pressure, Communication, Emotions, Facial Expression, Female, Humans, Internal-External Control, Interpersonal Relations, Social Behavior, Stress, Psychological
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