Coping with sequential conflicting emotional experiences

Abstract

What influences retrospective evaluations of sequentially arising conflicting emotions? The present research brings to light two competing views, one where the positive emotion enables successful coping with the negative emotion and the other where the most salient aspect of the experience guides evaluations. Results from study 1 support the coping view. Specifically, relatively close (vs. distant) temporal proximity between movie clips arousing positive emotions and those eliciting negative emotions produced more favorable evaluations of the overall viewing experience. Study 2 examines the underlying process of coping through relatively close (vs. distant) temporal proximity between positive and negative emotions. Findings from this study support the notion that reappraisal drives the beneficial effect of relatively close (vs. distant) temporal proximity, which in turn leads to more favorable evaluations of conflicting emotional experiences.