The Interpersonal Dynamics of Emotion Toward an Integrative Theory of Emotions as Social Information Studies in Emotion and Social Interaction Series

Emotions are an elemental part of life - they imbue our existence with meaning and purpose, and influence how we engage with the world around us. But we do not just feel our own emotions; we typically express them in the presence of other people. How do our emotional expressions affect others? Moving beyond the traditional intrapersonal perspective, this is the first book dedicated to exploring the pervasive interpersonal dynamics of emotions. Integrating existing theory and research, van Kleef develops the Emotions as Social Information (EASI) theory, a groundbreaking comprehensive framework that explains how emotional expressions influence observers across all domains of life, from close relationships to group settings, conflict and negotiation, customer service, and leader-follower relations. His deeply social perspective sheds new light on the fundamental question of why we have emotions in the first place - the social influence emotions engender may very well constitute their raison d'être.

1. Emotion: an interpersonal perspective; Part I. Emotions as Social Information (EASI) Theory: 2. Emotions as social information; 3. Mechanisms involved in the social effects of emotions; 4. Contingencies of the social effects of emotions; Part II. Social Effects of Emotions: The Empirical Record: 5. Social effects of emotions in close relationships; 6. Social effects of emotions in groups; 7. Social effects of emotions in conflict and negotiation; 8. Social effects of emotions on consumer behavior and customer service; 9. Social effects of emotions in leadership; Part III. Conclusions, Implications, and New Directions: 10. Critical evaluation, theoretical integration, and implications; 11. Caveats and future directions.

Gerben A. van Kleef is Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Amsterdam. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Amsterdam in 2004 and has held visiting appointments at the University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University, New York. He has received numerous awards for his scholarship, including the best dissertation award of the International Association for Conflict Management, the early career award of the European Association of Social Psychology, and the most influential paper award of the Academy of Management. He is currently Chair of the Social Psychology department at the University of Amsterdam and Associate Editor of Social Psychological and Personality Science.