title: When holding back helps: suppressing negative emotions during sacrifice feels authentic and is beneficial for highly interdependent people.
abstract: Is the suppression of negative emotions ever associated with beneficial outcomes in relationships? The study reported here drew on research and theory on emotion regulation, self-construal, and sacrifice to test the hypothesis that individual differences in interdependent self-construal moderate the association between negative-emotion suppression and the personal and interpersonal outcomes of sacrifice. In a 14-day daily-experience study of people in romantic relationships, people with higher levels of interdependence experienced boosts in personal well-being and relationship quality if they suppressed their negative emotions during sacrifice, whereas those who construed the self in less interdependent terms experienced lower well-being and relationship quality if they suppressed their negative emotions during sacrifice. Feelings of authenticity for the sacrifice mediated these associations. These findings identify a critical condition under which the suppression of negative emotions may be personally and interpersonally beneficial.
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Le Bonnie
authors.forename: Emily A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Impett
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012094:Repression, Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: close relationships; emotion regulation; emotions; interdependent self-construal; relationship quality; sacrifice; suppression; well-being