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In psychology
Psychology

Psychology is an academic and applied science discipline involving the science study of human mental functions and behavior. Occasionally it also relies on symbolic hermeneutics and critical theory, although these traditions are less pronounced than in other social sciences such as sociology....
, emotional expression is observable verbal and nonverbal behaviour
Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication is usually understood as the process of communication through sending and receiving wordless messages.NVC can be communicated through gesture; body language or posture; facial expression and eye contact; object communication such as clothing, Haircut or even architecture; symbols and infographics....
 that communicates emotion
Emotion

An emotion is a mental and physiological state associated with a wide variety of feelings, thoughts, and behavior.Emotions are subjective experiences, or experienced from an individual point of view....
. Emotional expression can occur with or without self-awareness. An individual can control such expression, to some extent, and may have deliberate intent in displaying it.

Emotional regulation
Various researchers have highlighted the importance for an individual of being able to successfully regulate emotions.






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Encyclopedia


In psychology
Psychology

Psychology is an academic and applied science discipline involving the science study of human mental functions and behavior. Occasionally it also relies on symbolic hermeneutics and critical theory, although these traditions are less pronounced than in other social sciences such as sociology....
, emotional expression is observable verbal and nonverbal behaviour
Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication is usually understood as the process of communication through sending and receiving wordless messages.NVC can be communicated through gesture; body language or posture; facial expression and eye contact; object communication such as clothing, Haircut or even architecture; symbols and infographics....
 that communicates emotion
Emotion

An emotion is a mental and physiological state associated with a wide variety of feelings, thoughts, and behavior.Emotions are subjective experiences, or experienced from an individual point of view....
. Emotional expression can occur with or without self-awareness. An individual can control such expression, to some extent, and may have deliberate intent in displaying it.

Emotional regulation


Various researchers have highlighted the importance for an individual of being able to successfully regulate emotions. Ways of doing this include cognitive reappraisal — interpreting a situation in positive terms, and expressive suppression — masking signs of inner emotional states.

Ventilation hypothesis


Critiques

In , Milton Spett refers to opponents of the ventilation hypothesis:
In the past year, a number of publications have argued convincingly for a paradigm shift in our view of expressing negative emotions. In "Expressing Emotion" (New York: the Guilford Press, 1999), Eileen Kennedy-Moore
Eileen Kennedy-Moore

Eileen Kennedy-Moore is a New Jersey-based clinical psychologist and the author or co-author of professional and lay books and articles on children's emotions such as Expressing Emotion: Myths, Realities and Therapeutic Strategies, ISBN 1572306947, The Unwritten Rules of Friendship: Simple Strategies to Help Your Children Make Friends...
 and Jeanne Watson carefully review the empirical research on the "ventilation hypothesis," the widely-accepted belief that expressing negative emotions, such as anger, sadness, or fear, is good for our mental health, our physical health, and our interpersonal relationships. The authors draw the surprising conclusion that expressing negative emotions tends to increase rather than decrease the emotions, and does not necessarily improve our mental or physical health.


The rest of the article includes these points:
  • experiencing emotions rather than expressing emotions that can lead to cognitive reappraisal and improved mental and physical health
  • the most effective therapeutic interventions should include both moderate emotional expression and cognitive reappraisal.


See also

  • Affect display
    Affect display

    In psychology, affect display or affective display is a subject's externally displayed Affect . The display can be by facial, vocal, or gestural means ....
  • Coping (psychology)
    Coping (psychology)

    The psychological definition of coping is the Process of managing taxing circumstances, expending effort to solve personal and interpersonal problems, and seeking to master, minimize, reduce or tolerate Stress or conflict....
  • Emotions and culture
    Emotions and culture

    Emotions are universal phenomena; however, they are affected by culture. While some emotions are universal and are experienced in similar ways as a reaction to similar events across all cultures, other emotions show considerable cultural differences in their antecedent events, the way they are experienced, the reactions they provoke and the way the...
  • Facial communication
  • Facial expression
    Facial expression

    A facial expression results from one or more motions or positions of the muscles of the face. These movements convey the emotional state of the individual to observers....
  • Microexpression
    Microexpression

    The term microexpression denotes a brief facial expression that lasts less than a quarter of a second. They often occur involuntarily, and can reveal emotions not deliberately expressed....
  • Sex and emotion
    Sex and emotion

    Popular media is filled with stereotype representations of the differences in emotion between men and women.Recent research examines the possible neurological bases for such differences using brain imaging and other techniques....