Wize University Psychology Textbook > Emotion & Motivation
Emotional Communication
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Emotional Communication
Emotional expression - observable sign of an internal emotional state.
Emotions are expressed through:
- facial expressions
- tone of voice
- gait
- direction of gaze
- physical interactions with others
Emotional expressions communicate with others, which has an evolutionary advantage - we can warn off enemies and indicate submission.
Universality hypothesis - human facial expressions are innate and shared across all human populations. Appears true for basic emotions and possibly embarrassment, surprise, amusement, guilt, shame, and pride as well.
- Congenitally blind people display smiles when happy
- Babies make disgusted faces when given bitter tastes
- We are pretty good at identifying facial expressions made by people from other cultures
Facial feedback hypothesis - emotional expressions can cause the emotional experiences they signify.
Deceptive expression
We sometimes (intentionally or unintentionally) display emotional expressions that are inconsistent with our internal state.
Display rules - norms for the appropriate expression of emotion. Vary between cultures and even between situations.
Example - it may be appropriate to roll your eyes at a friend, but not at a professor or grandparent.
Techniques for obeying display rules:
- Intensification - exaggerating the expression of an emotion. Example - pretending to be thrilled when your partner's parent makes a meal you don't like.
- Deintensification - muting the expression of one’s emotion. Example - being a "good sport" when you lose an important game.
- Masking - expressing one emotion while feeling another. Example - feigning interest when your friend tells you every detail of the date they went on.
- Neutralizing - showing no expression of the emotion one is feeling. Example - poker face.
Practice: Emotional Communication
Margot's partner gives her a set of teas as a gift, and Margot tries to hide her disappointment by thanking them for the thoughtful gift. This is an example of: