Emotional influence in groups: the dynamic nexus of affect, cognition, and behavior

• Published in: Current opinion in psychology 2017-10, Vol.17, p.156-161
• Main Authors: van Kleef, Gerben A, Heerdink, Marc W, Homan, Astrid C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2352-250X; 2352-250X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.07.017

•We review research on the social effects of emotional expressions in groups.•Our review is guided by Emotions as Social Information (EASI) theory.•Emotional displays have affective, cognitive, and behavioral consequences in groups.•Both affective and cognitive processes are critical in shaping group functioning.•We call for more research on the informational value of emotional displays in groups. Groups are a natural breeding ground for emotions. Group life affords unique opportunities but also poses critical challenges that may arouse emotional reactions in group members. Social-functional approaches hold that these emotions in turn contribute to group functioning by prompting group members to address concerns that are relevant to the group's success. Guided by Emotions as Social Information (EASI) theory, this paper reviews research on the affective, cognitive, and behavioral consequences of emotional expressions in groups. Affective processes include emotional contagion and affective convergence, and resulting states such as group affective tone and affective diversity. Cognitive processes include inferences group members draw from each other's emotional expressions. We discuss how these affective and cognitive processes shape behavior and group functioning. We conclude that the traditional (over)emphasis on affective processes must be complemented with a focus on cognitive processes to develop a more complete understanding of the social dynamics of emotions in groups.