June 15, 2017
The results of several studies reported in a new paper just accepted for publication in Cognition and Emotion (Aragon & Clark, 2017), reveal that the way in which a person expresses his or her happiness influences their partner’s behavior toward them. Expressing happiness with tears (tears of joy) is most likely to lead partners to help one down-regulate the emotion whereas expressing happiness with smiles is most likely to lead partners to up-regulate the happiness, capitalizing upon it. The research will appear on line soon and in print later this year.