Sommer, Nils Robin (2024). Emotion Recognition Ability and Well-Being: An Investigation of the Underlying Mechanisms. (Thesis). Universität Bern, Bern
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Abstract
The ability to recognize emotions in others through nonverbal cues (emotion recognition ability; ERA) is generally seen as beneficial for psychosocial functioning and well-being. However, research on the direct link between ERA and well-being is limited, and findings suggest the relationship may not always hold. This thesis explores ERA’s association with various aspects of well-being, including life satisfaction, affect, social relationship quality, and the absence of psychopathological symptoms. It also examines potential interpersonal and intrapersonal mechanisms connecting ERA and well-being, such as improved social outcomes through better management of social interactions and more affiliative nonverbal behaviors, as well as emotional sensitivity and adaptive emotion regulation. Three studies were conducted: 1) a daily-diary study (N = 437), examining the overall relationship between ERA and well-being, along with underlying mechanisms; 2) a social interaction experiment (N = 152) where participants interacted with either a friendly or unfriendly confederate to assess how interaction valence influences the effects of ERA and emotion regulation on affect, behavior, and social interaction quality; and 3) a longitudinal study of medical students (N = 986) to assess the impact of ERA on stress, mental health, and burnout one year later, and to see whether social support mediates these effects. Additional exploratory analyses investigated further mediators in the data of Studies 1 and 2, as well as affiliative nonverbal behaviors, namely facial mimicry and nonverbal synchrony, in the social interactions in Study 2. The findings showed no direct link between ERA and well-being overall (Studies 1-3). Regarding the investigated mechanisms, ERA was associated with lower psychopathological symptoms through increased social support (Study 3), and individuals with higher ERA exhibited greater nonverbal synchrony in social interactions (exploratory analyses). However, there was no support for heightened emotional sensitivity or more adaptive emotion regulation in ERA; results instead pointed towards slightly less adaptive emotion regulation (Studies 2 and 3). Future research directions include further investigating affiliative nonverbal behaviors such as facial mimicry and nonverbal synchrony in social interactions, as well as automatic processes in ERA, including attention mechanisms and specific biases towards emotions. Overall, the thesis suggests that while ERA may not consistently enhance well-being, it may still play an important role in interpersonal and intrapersonal processes.
| Item Type: | Thesis |
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| Dissertation Type: | Cumulative |
| Date of Defense: | 17 December 2024 |
| Subjects: | 100 Philosophy > 150 Psychology |
| Institute / Center: | 07 Faculty of Human Sciences > Institute of Psychology |
| Depositing User: | Sarah Stalder |
| Date Deposited: | 21 Jan 2025 16:22 |
| Last Modified: | 21 Jan 2025 16:22 |
| URI: | https://boristheses.unibe.ch/id/eprint/5749 |
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