2022/04/22 by Felicia K. Zerwas, Jordan A. Tharp, Serena Chen +1 · 14 citations
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Affective science #Cognition #Cognitive psychology #Cognitive reappraisal #Control (management) #Emotion work #Emotional control #Emotions and Moral Behavior #Expressive Suppression #Power (physics) #Psychology #Social Power and Status Dynamics #Social and Intergroup Psychology #Social psychology #Two-factor theory of emotion
paper · open access · doi:10.1111/jopy.12721
published in Journal of Personality 91(2), 314-331 (Wiley)
openalex publication_date 2022/04/22 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
OBJECTIVE: People differ in how they regulate their emotions, and how they do so is guided by their beliefs about emotion. We propose that social power-one's perceived influence over others-relates to one's beliefs about emotion and to emotion regulation. More powerful people are characterized as authentic and uninhibited, which should translate to the belief that one should not have to control one's emotions and, in turn, less suppression and more acceptance. More powerful people are also characterized as self-efficacious and confident, which should translate to the belief that one can control one's emotions and, in turn, more reappraisal and acceptance. METHOD: = 1286) tested these hypotheses using cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys as well as diaries. RESULTS: In Study 1, power related to beliefs about emotion and emotion regulation in hypothesized ways. Study 2 also largely supported the hypotheses: The belief that one should not have to control one's emotions accounted for the links between power and suppression and acceptance, whereas the belief that one can control one's emotions accounted for the link between power and reappraisal. CONCLUSION: Power and emotion regulation are interconnected, in part because of their links with beliefs about emotions.