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The Self-Presentational Nature of Emotional Expression

Some Evidence

University of Southern California

Kevin W. Gentry

Information Resources, Inc.—Chicago

Jane Green

University of Southern California

Based on the self-presentation assumption that behavior is designed to gain the approval and/or avoid the disapproval of others (Jellison & Arkin, 1977; Jellison & Gentry, 1978), it was hypothesized (1) that people imagining themselves failing to display an emotion that was situationally appropriate would expect less reward/more punishment from others, compared to people imagining themselves displaying an appropriate emotion, and (2) that for females, this effect would be amplified due to stronger normative pressures for emotional expression from females. Four replications of the basic 2 x 2 (sex by appropriateness) factorial design provided support for the first hypothesis (l) in sad and happy situations, and (2) when subjects imagined themselves as actors in the situation or when they imagined a hypothetical other as the actor. Support for the second hypothesis was obtained in the happy situation. The results were discussed as being consistent with the self-presentation explanation of emotional expressions as behaviors designed to gain the approval/avoid the disapproval of others.

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