MANAGING THE EMOTIONS OF OTHERS

Although research has focused on how individuals manage their own emot ions, little attention has been paid to how individuals manage the emo tions of other people. Here, I describe several techniques of interper sonal emotion-management, drawing from observations of a psychodrama-b ased encounter group which deliberately manipulated its members' feeli ngs. Analysis reveals a number of strategies (e.g., group enactments, provocations, comforting) which, when used sequentially, produced firs t emotional loss of control in the individual and then positive emotio n. Group solidarity was sometimes affected by these interpersonal emot ion-management techniques as well. Some techniques may be similar to t hose used in military training and cult group recruitment, although fu rther research attention is needed in these arenas. Other settings in which members play upon the emotions of others should be examined to i dentify other interpersonal techniques and the sequencing of strategie s which produce desired individual and group outcomes.