Patterns of Emotion-Specific Appraisal, Coping, and Cardiovascular Reactivity During an Ongoing Emotional Episode

• Published in: Journal of personality and social psychology 2002-08, Vol.83 (2), p.434-450
• Main Authors: Herrald, Mary M, Tomaka, Joe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Affectivity. Emotion; Analysis of Variance; Anger; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiology; Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; Cardiovascular Reactivity; Cognitive Processes; Coping Behavior; Emotional Responses; Emotions; Emotions - physiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health; Hemodynamics; Human; Human behaviour; Humans; Interpersonal relations; Judgment; Male; Personality; Personality. Affectivity; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Self; Shame; Social psychology; Stress, Psychological - physiopathology; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Texas
• ISSN: 0022-3514; 1939-1315
• DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.83.2.434

The authors examined emotion-specific patterns of appraisal, coping, and cardiovascular reactivity during real ongoing emotional episodes. In this study, 109 participants performed a neutral opinion-expression task, where a confederate elicited anger, shame, or pride using verbal and nonverbal behavior. The authors assessed cognitive appraisals, emotional reactions, coping, outcomes (state self-esteem and outcome satisfaction), and cardiovascular reactivity. Results indicated substantial and theoretically consistent differences between the 3 emotions (and differences from a nonemotion condition) for cognitive appraisals, self-reported coping, behavioral coping, self- esteem, and cardiovascular reactivity. The results are discussed in relation to their implications for emotion theory and for psychological and physical health. Overall, the results suggest that researchers can study emotion-related issues using authentic emotional reactions.