THE EFFECTS OF PERSONALITY TRAITS
AND SUPPRESSION OF POSITIVE EMOTION
ON PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES
Asmir Gračanin, Igor Kardum & Jasna Hudek-Knežević
Department of psychology
Faculty of arts and social sciences in Rijeka
Two kinds of explanations of relation between expressivity
and physiological changes during emotion
1.
Coactivation theory (Cacioppo et al., 1992)
2.
Emotional discharge theory (e.g., Bonaparte, Freud & Kris,
1954) and effort model (Kunzmann, Kupperbusch &
Levenson, 2005)
- Cacioppo et al., (1992) concluded that results of the previous
reserch support:
a) Coactivation theory - in the context of intraindividual
differences
b) Emotional discharge theory. - in the context of
interindividual differences
- Contemporary research has shown positive relation between
suppression (non-expressiveness) and activation in the context
of intraindividual differences (e.g. Gross & Levenson, 1993, 1997;
Butler i et al. 2003)
Personality traits and peripheral physiological
activity in emotion
Neuroticism
 Previous research has shown that depressiveness is related to
diminished physiological responding in emotional situations
Agreeableness
 theoretically and empirically this dimension is related to proness to
feel empathy. It can be expected that individuals who are higher in
agreeableness would show patterns of physiological activity that correspond to
the level of experienced empathy.
Conscientiousness
 dimension that is related to control of own impulses and
responsible dealing with different tasks; more conscientious individuals should
put more effort into following instruction to suppress and thus would have
higher sympathetic activity.
HYPOTHESES
Different indicators of sympathetic activity
(electrodermal activity, heart rate and peripheral pulse amplitude)
are going to:
1.
Increase in an positive emotional situation only in less
depressive subjects
2.
Depend on the interaction between different personality
traits (neuroticism, conscientiousness and agreeableness)
and instruction to suppress experienced emotion
3.
Increase when participants who are prone to put effort in a
task receive the instruction to suppress
METHOD
Subjects
N= 129 participants, students of differnt faculties at the
university of Rijeka, N= 97 females and N= 32 males
Age - 18 to 35 years (M = 21.46; SD = 2.77)
METHOD
Procedure / inducton of emotion
Film clip aimed to induce joy:
Scene form the film “Les visiteurs” (Poire, 1993 ), lenght: 134 seconds
Neutral clip (birds on the beach, 51 seconds) and clip aimed to habituate
participants to experimental conditions (dots and lines, 91 seconds) taken
from the Gross and Levenson’s study (1995)
METHOD
Instruments
NEO-PI-R (Costa & McCrae, 1992)
240; five personality dimensions, 30 facets
Short questionnaire designed for the purpose of this study
12 items; five basic emotions, PA and NA
METHOD
Instruments
Expressive behaviour
 video camera
 two evaluators
 smiling, frowning , disgust, agitation
Physiological activity
 ECG (IBI)
 PPA
 SCL
METHOD
Induction efficacy
Subjective experience
Target state
Subjective
experience
Positive affect
Negative affect
Neutral state
2
M
SD
2
M
SD
M
SD
Positive
0.43***
12.86
4.03
0.53***
4.22
1.10
8.43
4.01
Negative
0.00
9.08
2.52
0.70***
17.70
5.76
9.00
2.04
2 – estimation of effect size; * p< 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001; N = 63
METHOD
Induction efficacy
Expressive behaviour
Expressive
behaviour
Target state
Positive affect
Negative affect
2
M
SD
2
Smiling
0.69***
2.84
1.02
Frowning
0.19***
1.42
Disgust
0.17***
Agitation
0.14**
Neutral state
M
SD
M
SD
0.00
1.29
0.72
1.23
0.66
0.73
0.37***
1.89
1.16
1.06
0.30
1.14
0.31
0.34***
1.72
1.00
1.00
0.00
1.28
0.72
0.47***
1.95
1.02
1.00
0.00
2 – estimation of effect size; * p< 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001; N = 63
METHOD
Induction efficacy
Physiological activation
TARGET EMOTION
PHYSIOLOGICAL
PARAMETERS
PPA (mV)
Positive affect
2
Neutral clip
Negative affect
Emotional clip
0.02
2
Neutral clip
Emotional clip
0.22***
M
2.29
2.15
2.25
1.74
SD
1.73
1.72
1.68
1.39
IBI (ms)
0.02
00
M
806.01
811.49
808.37
809.96
SD
125.80
120.29
127.44
121.96
SCL (µS)
M
SD
0.26***
0.31***
0.57
0.61
0.55
0.62
0.23
0.23
0.23
0.23
2 – estimation of effect size; * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001 (negative affect N = 54; positive affect;
N = 57); PPA – peripheral pulse amplitude; IBI – interval between beats (reciprocal to heart rate); SCL –
skin conductance level
RESULTS
For each of the Five factor model dimensions and their facets only those participants
which were positioned within the highest and the lowest 33% of the results were
included in further analyses
For each of the sympathetic activity indicators a group of three way ANOVAs has
been conducted:
1.
Repeated measures – variable CLIP – two levels: neutral and emotional clip
2.
USUAL BEHAVIOR/ SUPPRESSION – depending on the instruction
3.
PERSONALITY DIMENSION / FACET – two levels: the lowest 33% and the
highest 33%
 In each ANOVA next covariates were controlled for: sex, age and the variable
aimed to check for the familiarity of film from which the scene/clip has been
taken
RESULTS
• Interaction between neuroticism and film clip on the skin conductance
level. More neurotic participants have shown lower skin conductance
level in the emotional situation, F (1,66) = 5,11; p <0.05
• Interaction between neuroticism facets
ANGRY HOSTILITY; F (1,68) = 5,29; p <0.05
DEPRESSION; F (1, 65) = 4,85; p <0.05
VULNERABILITY; F (1, 70) = 5,71; p <0.05
and film clip on the skin conductance level. More hostile, depressive and
vulnerable participants have shown a decrease in skin conductance level
in the emotional situation while those lower on these facets have shown
an increase in SCL
RESULTS
Interaction between depression and film clip on the SCL
0,16
0,14
0,12
0,1
scl
0,08
0,06
0,04
0,02
0
1
2
-0,02
-0,04
film clip
RESULTS
• Interaction between neuroticism facet IMPULSIVENESS and film clip
on the heart rate (ibi) F (1,71) = 4,52; p <0.05.
More impulsive participants have shown a decrease in IBI (increase in
heart rate) in the emotional situation while those lower on this facet have
shown increase in IBI.
• Interaction between agreeableness facet TENDER-MINDEDNESS and
film clip on the heart rate (IBI) F (1,63) = 4,06; p <0.05. Less tenderminded participants have shown much higher increase in IBI (decrease in
heart rate) in the emotional situation.
RESULTS
•
Interaction between neuroticism, clip (neutral vs positive emotion) and
suppression on the peripheral pulse amplitude. When participants received
the instruction to suppress, those who are less neurotic have not shown
decrease in the amplitude of peripheral pulse (vasoconstriction – decreased
sympathetic activity) as it was the case in the no suppression group;
F(1,64) =6,41; p=0.01
RESULTS
Interaction between neuroticism, film clip and suppression on the PPA
suppression
3
3,5
2,8
3,3
2,6
3,1
2,4
2,9
2,2
2,7
ppa
ppa
usual behaviour
2
2,5
1,8
2,3
1,6
2,1
1,4
1,9
1,2
1,7
1
2
film clip
1
2
film clip
RESULTS
• Interaction between neuroticism facet ANGRY HOSTILITY, clip
(neutral vs positive emotion) and suppression on the peripheral pulse
amplitude. When participants received the instruction to suppress, those
who are less hostile have shown greater increase in the amplitude of
peripheral pulse (vasodilatation – decreased sympathetic activity),
F(1,66) =4,68; p<0.05
• Interaction between agreeableness facet TENDER MINDEDNESS, clip
(neutral vs positive emotion) and suppression on the peripheral pulse
amplitude. When participants received the instruction to suppress, those
who are more tender minded have shown greater decrease in the
amplitude of peripheral pulse (vasoconstriction – increased sympathetic
activity), F(1,63) =8,6; p<0.01
RESULTS
Interaction between tender-mindedness, film clip and suppression on the PPA
usual behaviour
suppression
3
3,5
2,8
3,3
2,6
3,1
2,9
2,2
2,7
pa
ppa
2,4
2
2,5
1,8
2,3
1,6
2,1
1,4
1,9
1,2
1,7
1
2
film clip
1
2
film clip
RESULTS
• Interaction between conscientiousness facet COMPETENCE, clip (neutral
vs positive emotion) and suppression on the peripheral pulse amplitude.
During suppression, those who believe more in their self efficacy did not
have any decrease in the amplitude of peripheral pulse (vasoconstriction –
increased sympathetic activity), F(1,61) =5,47; p<0.05
RESULTS
Interaction between competence, film clip and suppression on the PPA
usual behaviour
suppression
3
2,5
2,3
2,6
2,1
2,4
1,9
2,2
1,7
ppa
ppa
2,8
2
1,5
1,8
1,3
1,6
1,1
1,4
0,9
0,7
1,2
1
2
film clip
1
2
film clip
RESULTS
• Interaction between extraversion facet GREGARIOUSNESS, clip and
suppression on the SCL. When participants received the instruction to
suppress, those who are more gregarious have shown a decrease in SCL
compared to situation when they behaved as usual F(1,71) =3,64; p=0.06
• Interaction between conscientiousness facet DUTIFULNESS, clip and
suppression on the SCL. When participants received the instruction to
suppress, those who are higher in dutifulness have shown an increase in
SCL compared to situation when they behaved as usual F(1,68) =7,46;
p<0,01
RESULTS
Interaction between dutifulness, clip and suppression on the SCL
usual behaviour
suppression
0,5
0,6
0,4
0,5
0,3
0,4
0,2
0,3
scl
scl
0,1
0
-0,1
1
0,2
2
0,1
-0,2
0
-0,3
1
2
-0,1
-0,4
-0,5
-0,2
film clip
film clip
CONCLUSION
No interaction between clip and suppression has been found; instruction to suppress has
not, on average, produced any change in the indicators of sympathetic activation.
Interactions between diferent dimensions of Five factor model and their facets with the film
clip have been found. Personality traits have theoretically expected impact on the
patterns of sympathetical activation in the situation which tipically produces positive
emotion.
Interaction between different Five factor model dimensions and their facets with variables
film clip and suppression have been found. Different personality traits moderate the
effects of instruction to suppress on the different physiological parameters
(indicators of sympathetic activity) in the expected direction.