The Interpersonal Dynamics of Emotion: Toward an Integrative Theory of Emotions as Social Information

330 Pages·2016·1.55 MB·English

by  Gerben A. van Kleef

TheInterpersonalDynamicsofEmotion
Emotionsareanelementalpartoflife–theyimbueourexistencewithmeaningand
purpose,andinfluencehowweengagewiththeworldaroundus.Butwedonot
just feel our own emotions; we typically express them in the presence of other
people. How do our emotional expressions affect others? Moving beyond the
traditionalintrapersonalperspective,thisisthefirstbookdedicatedtoexploring
thepervasiveinterpersonaldynamicsofemotions.Integratingexistingtheoryand
research,VanKleefdevelopstheEmotionsasSocialInformation(EASI)theory,a
ground-breakingcomprehensiveframeworkthatexplainshowemotionalexpres-
sions influence observers across all domains of life, from close relationships to
group settings, conflict and negotiation, customer service, and leader-follower
relations.Hisdeeplysocialperspectiveshedsnewlightonthefundamentalques-
tion of why we have emotions in the first place – the social influence emotions
engendermayverywellconstitutetheirraisond’être.
gerben a. van kleef is Professor of Social Psychology at the University of
Amsterdam.HeobtainedhisPhDfromtheUniversityofAmsterdamin2004and
has held visiting appointments at UC Berkeley and Columbia University. He
received numerous awards for his scholarship, including the best dissertation
awardoftheInternationalAssociationforConflictManagement,theearlycareer
awardoftheEuropeanAssociationofSocialPsychology,andthemostinfluential
paperawardoftheAcademyofManagement.HeiscurrentlyChairoftheSocial
Psychology department of the University of Amsterdam and Associate Editor of
SocialPsychologicalandPersonalityScience.
STUDIES IN EMOTION AND SOCIAL INTERACTION
SecondSeries
SeriesEditors
KeithOatley
UniversityofToronto
AntonyS.R.Manstead
CardiffUniversity
TitlesPublishedintheSecondSeries
ThePsychologyofFacialExpression,editedbyJamesA.Russell
andJoséMiguelFernández-Dols
Emotions,theSocialBond,andHumanReality:Part/WholeAnalysis,
byThomasJ.Scheff
IntersubjectiveCommunicationandEmotioninEarlyOntogeny,
editedbySteinBråten
TheSocialContextofNonverbalBehavior,editedbyPierrePhilippot,
RobertS.Feldman,andErikJ.Coats
CommunicatingEmotion:Social,Moral,andCulturalProcesses,
bySallyPlanalp
EmotionsacrossLanguagesandCultures:DiversityandUniversals,
byAnnaWierzbicka
FeelingandThinking:TheRoleofAffectinSocialCognition,editedby
JosephP.Forgas
MetaphorandEmotion:Language,Culture,andBodyinHumanFeeling,
byZoltánKövecses
GenderandEmotion:SocialPsychologicalPerspectives,editedby
AgnetaH.Fischer
CausesandConsequencesofFeelings,byLeonardBerkowitz
EmotionsandBeliefs:HowFeelingsInfluenceThoughts,editedby
NicoH.Frijda,AntonyS.R.Manstead,andSachaBem
IdentityandEmotion:DevelopmentthroughSelf-Organization,
editedbyHarkeA.BosmaandE.SaskiaKunnen
(ContinuedafterIndex)
The Interpersonal Dynamics
of Emotion
Toward an Integrative Theory of Emotions
as Social Information
GerbenA.vanKleef
UniversityPrintingHouse,CambridgeCB28BS,UnitedKingdom
CambridgeUniversityPressispartoftheUniversityofCambridge.
ItfurtherstheUniversity’smissionbydisseminatingknowledgeinthepursuitof
education,learningandresearchatthehighestinternationallevelsofexcellence.
www.cambridge.org
Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9781107048249
©GerbenA.vanKleef2016
Thispublicationisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexception
andtotheprovisionsofrelevantcollectivelicensingagreements,
noreproductionofanypartmaytakeplacewithoutthewritten
permissionofCambridgeUniversityPress.
Firstpublished2016
AcataloguerecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
LibraryofCongressCataloguinginPublicationdata
Kleef,GerbenA.van,author.
Theinterpersonaldynamicsofemotion:towardanintegrativetheory
ofemotionsassocialinformation/GerbenA.vanKleef.
Cambridge,UnitedKingdom:CambridgeUniversityPress,2016.|
Studiesinemotionandsocialinteraction
LCCN2015048602|ISBN9781107048249(hardback)
LCSH:Emotions–Socialaspects.|Emotions–Sociologicalaspects.|
Interpersonalrelations.
LCCBF531.K542016|DDC152.4–dc23
LCrecordavailableathttp://lccn.loc.gov/2015048602
ISBN978-1-107-04824-9Hardback
CambridgeUniversityPresshasnoresponsibilityforthepersistenceoraccuracyof
URLsforexternalorthird-partyinternetwebsitesreferredtointhispublication,
anddoesnotguaranteethatanycontentonsuchwebsitesis,orwillremain,
accurateorappropriate.
Tomyparents,withloveandgratitude

Contents
Listoffigures pagex
Listoftables xii
Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xv
1 Emotion:aninterpersonalperspective 1
Definitionalissues 3
Aninterpersonalapproachtoemotion 5
Goalsandoverviewofthebook 6
PARTI EmotionsasSocialInformationTheory 11
2 Emotionsassocialinformation 13
Emotionalexpressionsasevolutionaryadaptations 14
Whatdoemotionalexpressionssignal? 21
Emotionalexpressionsascommunicativetools 23
Emotionalexpressionsascuestosocialpredispositions 27
Whenemotionalsignalingfails 30
Conclusion 35
3 Mechanismsinvolvedinthesocialeffectsofemotions 37
Emotionalexpressionstriggeraffectivereactions
inobservers 38
Emotionalexpressionselicitinferentialprocessesin
observers 45
Therelationshipbetweenaffectivereactionsandinferential
processes 52
Conclusion 55
4 Contingenciesofthesocialeffectsofemotions 56
Generalprerequisitesforthesocialeffectsofemotions 56
Factorsshapingtheimpactofinferentialprocessesand
affectivereactions 60
Conclusion 77
vii
viii Contents
PARTII Socialeffectsofemotions:theempiricalrecord 79
5 Socialeffectsofemotionsincloserelationships 81
Thefunctionalityofemotionsincloserelationships 81
Emotionalconvergenceininterpersonalrelationships 84
Socialconsequencesofemotionalexpressionsfor
relationships 86
Conclusion 98
6 Socialeffectsofemotionsingroups 101
Thefunctionalityofemotionsingrouplife 102
Affectivereactions,affectivecomposition,andgroup
functioning 104
Emotionalexpressionsandinferentialprocessesingroups 112
Contingenciesofthesocialeffectsofemotionalexpressions
ingroups 115
Conclusion 119
7 Socialeffectsofemotionsinconflictandnegotiation 123
Affectivereactionsandtheirbehavioralconsequences 125
Inferentialprocessesandtheirbehavioralconsequences 128
Affectivereactionsversusinferentialprocesses 134
Emotionalintelligenceinconflictandnegotiation 142
Conclusion 143
8 Socialeffectsofemotionsonconsumerbehaviorand
customerservice 146
Effectsofserviceproviders’emotionsoncustomers 148
Effectsofcustomers’emotionsonserviceproviders 155
Howthirdparties’emotionalexpressionsshapeconsu-
mers’attitudes 160
Interpersonalemotionregulation 162
Emotionalintelligenceintheserviceindustry 165
Conclusion 167
9 Socialeffectsofemotionsinleadership 170
Leaders’emotionaldisplaysandperceptionsofleadership
quality 172
Leaders’emotionaldisplaysandfollowers’
performance 177
Leadershipandemotionalintelligence 190
Conclusion 192