The fine line of support

Abstract

As social beings, we have a natural inclination to share our emotions with others. Interpersonal emotion regulation plays a vital role in managing these emotions and can help individuals build and maintain relationships. Cognitive support tries to alter the emotional interpretation of the experience through reappraisal. However, it could potentially invalidate the emotions of the sharer and strain the relationship. This study aimed to examine the impact of cognitive support on feelings of closeness after disclosing a negative experience, and whether this varied between the emotions anger and worry. It was hypothesized that cognitive support was related to decreased feelings of closeness, with a stronger effect for anger compared to worry. A total of 208 participants took part in this study, which involved real-life interactions and observed assessments of support provision. The results indicated that there was no significant relationship between cognitive support and reduced feelings of closeness. Furthermore, the type of emotion did not moderate this relationship. Research on this subject can offer valuable insights into the complex interplay between sharing emotions and relationships. Recognizing the potential negative impact of cognitive support on closeness can serve as a foundation for preventing relationship deterioration and fostering harmonious interactions.