How Emotions Regulate Social Life: The Emotions as Social Information (EASI) Model
Open accessAbstract
The idea that emotions regulate social interaction is increasingly popular. But exactly how do emotions do this? To address this question, I draw on research on the interpersonal effects of emotions on behavior in personal relationships, parent–child interactions, conflict, negotiation, and leadership, and propose a new framework that can account for existing findings and guide future research: the emotions as social information (EASI) model. I demonstrate that emotional expressions affect observers' behavior by triggering inferential processes and/or affective reactions in them. The predictive strength of these two processes—which may inspire different behaviors—depends on the observer's information processing and on social-relational factors. Examples of moderators that determine the relative predictive strength of inferences and affective reactions include power, need for cognitive closure, time pressure, display rules, and the appropriateness and target of the emotional expression, which are all discussed.
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Effects of emotional expressions are stronger to the degree that senders are more emotionally expressive and receivers have greater emotion perception ability.
“effects are stronger to the degree that senders are more emotionally expressive and receivers have greater emotion perception ability”
From The Social Effects of Emotions (2022) · cites this paper as Van Kleef 2009
In Conclusions and Future Directions (p. 5), the paper says its analysis predicts that targets respond similarly to emotional expressions whether or not they perceive them accurately, although this remains untested. That runs contrary to the claimed stronger effects for receivers with greater emotion-perception ability. The paper does not address whether senders’ emotional expressiveness strengthens the effects. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredEASI theory postulates that emotional expressions disambiguate social situations and facilitate interpersonal coordination.
“EASI theory postulates that emotional expressions disambiguate social situations and facilitate interpersonal coordination.”
From The Social Effects of Emotions (2022) · cites this paper as Van Kleef 2009
The EASI model section (pp. 2–3) says emotional expressions provide observers with information about a situation, supporting the idea that they can clarify it. The Inferential Processes section (p. 3) gives an example in which such information helps negotiators find win-win solutions. But the paper does not posit that emotional expressions generally facilitate coordination: the Converging Versus Competing Processes section (p. 4) says they can also inspire competition. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredEmotional expressions provide a window into the expresser's mind.
“emotional expressions provide a window into the expresser's mind”
From The Social Effects of Emotions (2022) · cites this paper as Van Kleef 2009
Emotions are inherently social.
“a growing scholarly awareness has emerged that emotions are inherently social: They often arise in interactions with other people, are regulated in light of social norms and goals, are expressed in social situations, and exert influence on others”
From The Social Effects of Emotions (2022) · cites this paper as Van Kleef 2009
The relative impact of inferential processes on behavior increases when observers are more motivated and able to engage in thorough information processing and deem the emotional expression appropriate.
“The relative impact of inferential processes on behavior increases when observers are more motivated and able to engage in thorough information processing and deem the emotional expression appropriate in light of the situation.”
From The Social Effects of Emotions (2022) · cites this paper as Van Kleef 2009
The relative impact of affective reactions on behavior increases when observers are less motivated and able to engage in thorough information processing and/or perceive the emotional expression as inappropriate.
“the relative impact of affective reactions increases when observers are less motivated and able to engage in thorough information processing and/or perceive the emotional expression as inappropriate”
From The Social Effects of Emotions (2022) · cites this paper as Van Kleef 2009
The social effects of emotional expressions depend on observers' motivation and ability to process (social) information, including others' emotional expressions.
“Consistent with the idea that emotional expressions provide information, there is growing evidence that the social effects of emotional expressions depend on observers’ motivation and ability to process (social) information, including others’ emotional expressions (Van Kleef 2009).”
From The Social Effects of Emotions (2022) · cites this paper as Van Kleef 2009
Emotional displays are meaningful social signals that inform the perceiver about the expresser's appraisal of the situation and behavioral intentions, thus influencing the perceiver's emotions and behavior.
“Emotional displays are meaningful social signals that inform the perceiver about the expresser’s appraisal of the situation and their behavioral intentions, thus influencing the perceiver’s emotions and behavior (e.g., Keltner & Haidt, 1999; Manstead & Fischer, 2001; Schwartz & Clore, 1983; van Kleef, 2009).”
From Existential threat and responses to emotional displays of ingroup and outgroup members (2023) · cites this paper as van Kleef, 2009
Psychological studies show that in humans sharing of affect across group members, achieved through emotional contagion, improves intra-group communication and facilitates group bonding.
“Psychological studies show that in humans sharing of affect across group members, which is achieved through emotional contagion, improves intra-group communication and facilitates group bonding.176,177”
From Ecological validity of social interaction tests in rats and mice (2019) · cites this paper as [176]
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“…are meaningful social signals that inform the perceiver about the expresser’s appraisal of the situation and their behavioral intentions, thus influencing the per-ceiver’s emotions and behavior (e.g., Keltner & Haidt, 1999; Manstead & Fischer, 2001; Schwartz & Clore, 1983; van Kleef, 2009).”
Background
- Authors
- Van Kleef, G. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Amsterdam
- Venue
- Current Directions in Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2009-06
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 184-188
- ISSN
- 0963-7214 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-8721
- OpenAlex
- W2141093480
- Cited by
- 1,457
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 160 · 2025: 157 · 2024: 117 · 2023: 109 · 2022: 107 · 2021: 130 · 2020: 109 · 2019: 89 · 2018: 82 · 2017: 81 · 2016: 62 · 2015: 74 · 2014: 45 · 2013: 52 · 2012: 34
- FWCI
- 35.98
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- handle.uba.uva.nl
- Locations
- Current Directions in Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social Power and Status Dynamics
- Keywords
- emotions as social information, emotional expression, affective reactions, observer behavior, parent-child interaction, interpersonal conflict, negotiation, leadership, power, need for cognitive closure, time pressure, display rules
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