Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

Program Name/Specialization

Social Psychology

Faculty/School

Faculty of Arts

First Advisor

Dr. Frank Kachanoff

Advisor Role

Primary thesis advisor

Abstract

Across two studies we examined the relation between emotional expression restriction – perceiving that others restrict one’s freedom to determine how they express their authentic emotions– on people’s emotion regulation strategies and their well-being. In cross-sectional Study 1 (N = 438), people of colour felt significantly greater collective and personal emotional expression restriction relative to White people suggesting that feelings of emotional expression restriction are more prevalent among members of marginalized versus dominant groups. However, among both groups, perceiving collective emotional expression restriction was significantly associated with greater feelings of personal emotional restriction, which in turn, was related to the use of less reappraising emotion regulation strategies and lower psychological well-being. In longitudinal Study 2 (N = 254), we found that among members of the LGBTQ2S+ community, perceptions of collective emotional restriction were also associated with personally feeling more emotional expression restriction as an individual, which in turn related to greater expressive suppression, less cognitive reappraisal, and ultimately, less psychological well-being. Importantly, the effects of perceived emotional expression restriction were robust across studies when controlling general perceptions of discrimination against one’s group, and for perceptions of autonomy versus restriction in terms of one’s identity express and behaviour (at both the personal and collective level). Taken together, our work suggests that perceptions of emotional restriction may be especially prevalent among members of marginalized groups and may have important implications for the way people from both marginalized and dominant backgrounds regulate their emotions and experience well-being. Implications for theories of social identity, basic psychological needs theory, and theories of emotion are discussed.

Convocation Year

2024

Convocation Season

Fall

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