The Experience, Expression, and Perceived Appropriateness of Emotions Across Levels of Relationship Development

Abstract

Emotion experience and expression in romantic relationships were investigated. We predicted (a) a curvilinear relationship between level of relationship development and intensity of emotion experience, (b) a curvilinear relationship between level of relationship development and intensity of emotion expression, and (c) a linear relationship between level of relationship development and perceived appropriateness of emotion expression. Two hundred one student and community respondents completed an emotion survey assessing a positive and negative emotion incident they had experienced, the intensity of experience, expression, and degree of appropriateness. Level of relationship development was operationalized by length of relationship. Confirmation for the first two hypotheses was found for negative emotions only. Perceived appropriateness of emotion expression did not vary across levels of relationship development for either negative or positive emotions.