The Positives of Negative Emotions: Willingness to Express Negative Emotions Promotes Relationships

@article{Graham2008ThePO,
  title={The Positives of Negative Emotions: Willingness to Express Negative Emotions Promotes Relationships},
  author={Steven M. Graham and Julie Y. Huang and Margaret S Clark and Vicki S. Helgeson},
  journal={Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin},
  year={2008},
  volume={34},
  pages={394 - 406}
}
Four studies support the hypothesis that expressing negative emotion is associated with positive relationship outcomes, including elicitation of support, building of new close relationships, and heightening of intimacy in the closest of those relationships. In Study 1, participants read vignettes in which another person was experiencing a negative emotion. Participants reported they would provide more help when the person chose to express the negative emotion. In Study 2, participants watched a… 
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175 Citations
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Methods Citations
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Results Citations
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175 Citations

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