Emotion response coherence: a dual-process perspective.
Emotions are widely thought to involve coordinated responses across multiple responses (e.g., experiential, behavioral, and physiological). However, empirical support for this general "response coherence" postulate is inconsistent. The present research takes a dual-process perspective, suggesting that response coherence might be conditional upon response system (i.e., automatic versus reflective). In particular, we tested the hypothesis that response coherence should be maximal within each system and minimal across the two systems. To test this prediction, 36 participants underwent an anger provocation while two relatively automatic (anger accessibility and physiology) and two relatively reflective (anger experience and instrumental behavior) responses were measured. As predicted, coherence was found within the automatic and reflective systems, but not across them. Implications for emotion response coherence, dual-process frameworks, and the functions of emotions are discussed.
Clinical and Health Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. Electronic address: C.Evers@uu.nl.
Catharine
C
Evers
Department of Psychology, University of Denver, USA.
Henrik
H
Hopp
Department of Psychology, Stanford University, USA.
James J
JJ
Gross
Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Agneta H
AH
Fischer
School of Psychology, Cardiff University, UK.
Antony S R
AS
Manstead
Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, USA.
Iris B
IB
Mauss
D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger / Q000502:physiology; D062186:Arterial Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
Automatic responses; Dual-process theories; Emotion; Reflective responses; Response coherence