Revealing feelings: Facets of emotional expressivity in self-reports, peer ratings, and expressive behavior

Drawing on an explicit model of emotion, we propose amultifaceted approach to emotional expressiv-ity, defined as the behavioral (e.g., facial, postural) changes associated with emotion. Study 1 shows that self-reported expressivity has 3 facets (Impulse Strength, Negative Expressivity, Positive Expressivity). Study 2 shows that the same 3 facets emerge in peer ratings and that there are robust relations between self- and peer-rated expressivity. In Study 3, emotion-expressive behavior was videotaped and related to expressivity self-reports obtained several months earlier. As expected, Negative Expressivity predicted behavioral expressions of sadness (but not amusement), whereas Positive Expressivity predicted amusement (but not sadness). These relations remained even when subjective motional experience and physiological response were controlled. These studies demon-strate the importance of a multifaceted approach to emotional expressivity and have implications for the understanding of personality and emotion. Emotions help us respond adaptively to environmental chal-lenges and opportunities (Frijda, 1988; Levenson, 1994; Plut-chik, 1980). Unlike other biologically based response tenden-cies, such as reflexes, however, emotions only incline us to act in certain ways; they do not compel us to do so. This means that we may deny expression to some emotional impulses while freely expressing others. Striking individual differences in ex-pressivity suggest that people differ in their response tendencies and in how they express these impulses as they arise. Because emotions influence such a wide range of intra- and interpersona