How to lose friends but make others think: The social consequences of expressing emotional ambivalence.

摘要

Past research exploring the influence of affect on negotiation outcomes has primarily considered the experience of single emotions and mood, but does not address the fact that individuals may experience and express multiple, opposing emotions simultaneously (e.g., emotional ambivalence). Such complex expressions may noticeably alter the way other negotiators perceive and respond to the expresser and to the negotiation itself, and in turn, markedly alter negotiation outcomes. We know virtually nothing, however, about how the expression of complex emotions influences the emotions, cognitions and behaviors of interaction partners. My dissertation begins to address this gap in the literature by investigating the social consequences of expressing emotional ambivalence in negotiations (studies 1-3) and in a cooperative work context (study 4). My research suggests an interesting paradox about the effects of ambivalence. Namely, people do not want to have future interactions with someone who expresses emotional ambivalence, because they find them frustrating. However, they also become more motivated to think deeply about their work task, more tolerant of ambiguity and more competitive when their partner expresses emotional ambivalence, than when their partner expresses single and resolute emotions such as happiness and anger.