Emotion display as a strategy for identity negotiation

Affect control theory provides a formal model of emotions, behavior and ide ntity shifts during social interaction. According to the theory, emotions p rovide information about both the identity of an emoting actor and how well current social events are confirming that identity. Actors can avoid or mi tigate identity damage resulting from inappropriate behaviors by displaying certain emotions (e.g. remorse). Alternately, actors can expose their iden tities to social damage by displaying inappropriate affect while behaving o therwise normatively. Here we present experimental tests of eight hypothese s based on affect control-based simulations. We find that (1) display of em otions that are affectively congruent with behaviors can reduce damage to i dentity from harmful behaviors; (2) display of evaluatively incongruent emo tions can actually contribute to a spoiled identity, even in the context of socially positive behaviors; and (3) emotions that are evaluatively congru ent with behaviors make actors seem more powerful. Respondents feel that th ey understand and like actors more when they display normative, affectively congruent emotions. These results are complicated somewhat by responses to the emotion of anger. One hypothesis-that low potency emotions will make a ctors seem more powerful-is not confirmed. We interpret these results and s uggest avenues for future research.