Communication and Emotion Chapter 7

Emotional Contagion When our interpersonal communications are influenced by the emotions of those around us The emotions of others are sometimes said to “infect” those around them Chapter 7

Defining Emotion: More Than Just a Feeling The critical internal structure that orients us to, and engages us with, what matters in our lives: our feelings about ourselves and others Chapter 7

Defining Emotion: More Than Just a Feeling Internal feelings of one person and feelings that can be experienced only in a relationship Mixed emotions or emotional blends Chapter 7

Two Category Systems for Emotions Valence – reflects a positive or negative emotion Intensity – how strongly the individual feels the emotion Chapter 7

Emotion, Reason, and The Body Dualism – is a way of thinking common in Western thought that looks at everything in their extremes or polar opposites (Kant & Descartes) hot or cold good or bad moral or immoral black or white Chapter 7

Emotion, Reason, and The Body Emotion seems to effect physical health Reason seems to also be dependent on emotion to some extent Chapter 7

Explaining Emotion: Biology and Social Interaction Biological theory of emotion Emotion is mainly related to instinct Emotions are similar across many cultures Chapter 7

Explaining Emotion: Biology and Social Interaction Emotion exists separately from thought and we need thought to bring “preexisting” emotion Biology effects emotional expression Smiling for example is not taught to us Chapter 7

Explaining Emotion: Biology and Social Interaction Social interaction theory of emotion Recognizes that biology effects emotion Focuses on how people interact in a social context before, during, and after they experience emotion Chapter 7

Emotion and Communication Emotional experience – feeling and/or experiencing the emotion Emotional communication – talking about the experience of emotion with someone else Chapter 7

Emotion and Communication Communicating emotionally – emotion is not the content of the message, but a property of it Emotional effects – how your emotional experience affects your communication behavior Chapter 7

Metaphors for Emotion We often use metaphors to talk about emotions and to help distinguish between subtle differences in emotion He’s a pain in the neck. Jack was sick with fright. I was tickled pink. Chapter 7

Metaphors for Emotion This figurative language may give the impression that emotion is independent of the person Chapter 7

How Emotion is Communicated Nonverbal cues Facial expressions such as smiling Paralanguage or tone of voice Verbal cues Sarcasms Rhetorical questions Combinations of cues Chapter 7

Influences on Emotional Communication Meta-emotion – emotion about emotion Talking about how we feel about expressing our emotions Chapter 7

Influences on Emotional Communication Culture – influences emotional expression Cultures and thinking about emotion How emotion is communicated across cultures Chapter 7

Gender and sex – influence the emotional communication Emotion and gender stereotypes of masculinity and femininity Emotional expression and gender Chapter 7

Context Online communication Historical period Feeling rules- the norms people use to shape their emotional expressions and reactions Chapter 7

The Dark Side of Emotional Communication Emotions such as: embarrassment, guilt, hurt, jealousy, anger, depression and loneliness Some dark side emotions are the polar opposite of some bright side emotions Chapter 7

The Bright Side of Emotional Communication Emotions such as: comfort, social support, warmth, affection, forgiveness, or desire The mix of bright and dark shows a complexity of emotional expressions Chapter 7

Choices for Developing Emotional Communication Skills Competence in expressing emotions and in listening and responding to the emotional communications of others is crucial to your success as an interpersonal communicator. Chapter 7

Choices for Developing Emotional Communication Skills Emotional intelligence or E-IQ is necessary to be a competent communicator (Goleman) Chapter 7

Choices for Developing Emotional Communication Skills Know your feelings Recognize your emotion Establish that you are stating an emotion Identify why you are feeling the emotion Chapter 7

Choices for Developing Emotional Communication Skills Analyze the situation Do you wish to share your emotion with others? Is the time appropriate for sharing? Chapter 7

Choices for Developing Emotional Communication Skills Analyze the situation How should you approach the communication? Is there anything you can do to change the situation if needed? Own your feelings Owning is the skill of verbally taking responsibility for your feelings Chapter 7

Choices for Developing Emotional Communication Skills Use I-messages to show you understand that you are responsible for your feelings “I feel _______________ when you _____________, and I would like __________.” Chapter 7

Choices for Developing Emotional Communication Skills Reframe when needed – put the situation in a more productive light Empathize – your ability to put yourself in someone else’s place so you can understand their point of view. Chapter 7

Behavioral Letter Theory - D & P Descriptive Prescriptive ------------------------------- - P & E Pride Enthusiasm Chapter 7