The Cognitive Consequences of Concealing Feelings

Abstract—

Abstract—When emotions arise, we are not powerless to overcome them: Adults actively regulate the extent to which their emotions are experienced and expressed in everyday life. Often, these efforts are aimed at looking and feeling better. However, theories of self-regulation and emotion suggest that some forms of emotion regulation may have unintended consequences for cognitive functioning. This article reviews studies that link expressive suppression, which involves concealing outward signs of emotion, with degraded memory, communication, and problem solving. Explanations for these consequences are considered, along with the possibility that not all forms of emotion regulation are cognitively costly. Recent research suggests that reappraisal, which entails changing how we think about an event to neutralize its emotional impact, leaves cognitive functioning intact. Thus, the cognitive consequences of keeping one's cool may vary according to how this is done.