Psychology: Substance Abuse and Expressive Suppression

10 Questions

What is the primary reason for individuals to modify their emotions and expressions in prosocial emotion regulation?

To fit social norms and expectations

In what situation may an individual regulate their emotions and conceal their romantic interest?

When expressing feelings of romantic interest in the partner of one's best friend

What is the self-protection motive driven by?

The need to safeguard their own safety or elicit assistance from others

Why may an individual fake embarrassment?

To seek forgiveness for a mistake

What is the impression management motive driven by?

The fear of being judged negatively by others

What is the primary goal of impression management motive?

To avoid being judged negatively by others

What is response modulation?

The process of modifying emotions and expressions to fit social norms and expectations

What is the reason for an employee to regulate their feelings of anger?

To prevent any negative outcomes at work

What is the main difference between self-protection motive and impression management motive?

Self-protection motive is driven by the need to safeguard their own safety or elicit assistance from others, while impression management motive is driven by the fear of being judged negatively by others

What is the common goal of prosocial emotion regulation and impression management motive?

To fit social norms and expectations

Study Notes

Substance Use

Substance use refers to consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, drugs, or medicines to numb thoughts, emotions, and/or physiological arousal.
Habitual use of alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism is linked to negative consequences in both mental and physical health.

Expressive Suppression

Expressive suppression is when an individual inhibits the behavioral expression of unwanted emotions, such as hiding one's anger.
This strategy is common in various psychological disorders, but it rarely changes the negative emotional experience and may even decrease positive emotion.
Expressive suppression increases sympathetic activation of the cardiovascular system, which may explain why it decreases well-being and increases vulnerability to cardiovascular diseases.

Emotion sharing is the act of communicating one's emotions to others through socially shared language.
Sharing emotions can have beneficial effects on mental health through the indirect effects of reinforcing social bonds and transferring warmth and affection.

Aggression

Aggression, whether verbal or physical, is a strategy employed to release bodily tension caused by an emotional situation.
Research indicates that aggression can lead to amplified cardiovascular reactivity when responding to provocative stressors, as well as an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease.
Aggression significantly damages social relationships.

Prosocial Emotion Regulation

Prosocial emotion regulation involves modifying one's emotions and expressions to fit social norms and expectations.
This type of regulation helps individuals avoid negative consequences, such as hurting others' feelings or damaging relationships.

Self-Protection Motive

Self-protection motive involves suppressing or displaying an emotion that is not genuinely felt to safeguard one's own safety or to elicit assistance from others.
Examples include regulating anger to avoid negative outcomes at work or expressing fake embarrassment to seek forgiveness.

Impression Management Motive

Impression management motive involves regulating emotions to avoid being judged negatively by others.
This motivation is based on knowledge of norms that dictate what emotions are suitable in a particular situation.