Emotional Self-regulation - Social Interactions

Social Interactions

People intuitively mimic facial expressions; it is a fundamental part of healthy functioning. Similarities across cultures in regards to nonverbal communication has prompted the debate that it is in fact a universal language. It can be argued that emotional regulation plays a key role in the ability to emit the correct responses in social situations. Humans have control over facial expressions both consciously and unconsciously, an intrinsic emotion program is generated as the result of a transaction with the world, which immediately results in an emotional response and usually a facial reaction . It is a well documented phenomenon that emotions have an effect on facial expression, but recent research has provided evidence that the opposite may also be true .

This notion would give rise to the belief that a person may not only control his emotion but in fact influence them as well. Emotional regulation focus on providing the appropriate emotion in the appropriate circumstances some theories allude to the thought that each emotions serves a specific purpose coordination organismic needs with environmental demands (cole 1994). This skill, although apparent throughout all nationalities, has been shown to vary in successful application at different age groups. In experiments done comparing younger and older adults to the same unpleasant stimuli, older adults were able to regulate their emotional reactions in a way that seemed to avoid negative confrontation . These findings support the theory that with time people develop a better ability to regulate their emotions. This ability found in adults seems to better allow to react in what would be considered a more appropriate manner in some social situations, permitting them to avoid adverse situations that could be seen as detrimental.