10 Personality and Social Psychology Bullet<strong>in</strong> XX(X)Figure 4. Medi<strong>at</strong><strong>in</strong>g role <strong>of</strong> self-reported agency appraisals on the effect <strong>of</strong> emotion condition and behavioral <strong>in</strong>hibition system (BIS) andbehavioral approach system (BAS) on subsequent emotion (Study 2)BAS Drive moder<strong>at</strong>es the effect <strong>of</strong> the sadness condition on subsequent anger, and the sadness condition predicts human agency appraisals. <strong>The</strong>moder<strong>at</strong><strong>in</strong>g effect <strong>of</strong> BAS Drive on the sadness condition on subsequent anger is medi<strong>at</strong>ed through human agency appraisals (Panel A) for medi<strong>at</strong>edmoder<strong>at</strong>ion. In Panel B, BIS moder<strong>at</strong>es the effect <strong>of</strong> the anger condition on subsequent sadness, and the anger condition predicts situ<strong>at</strong>ional appraisals.<strong>The</strong> moder<strong>at</strong><strong>in</strong>g effect <strong>of</strong> BIS on the anger condition on subsequent sadness is medi<strong>at</strong>ed through situ<strong>at</strong>ional appraisals. Coefficients without parenthesesrepresent parameter estim<strong>at</strong>es for simple l<strong>in</strong>ear regression models. Coefficients with<strong>in</strong> parentheses represent parameter estim<strong>at</strong>es for a regression modelconta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the medi<strong>at</strong>or (agency appraisals) and the <strong>in</strong>teraction <strong>of</strong> the medi<strong>at</strong>or and the moder<strong>at</strong>or (BAS Drive/BIS; see Muller, Judd, & Yzerbyt, 2005, fordetails). A anger condition; N neutral condition; S sadness condition.*p .05.anger. However, the blunt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> anger only occurs amongthose with low BAS Drive. 7 <strong>The</strong>se results are consistent withrecent research l<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g BAS and anger (Carver & Harmon-Jones, 2009; Harmon-Jones, 2003; Wilkowski & Meier, 2010).Medi<strong>at</strong><strong>in</strong>g role <strong>of</strong> human-agency appraisals. To assesswhether self-reported human-agency appraisals medi<strong>at</strong>ed therel<strong>at</strong>ion between emotion condition and BAS Drive on selfreportedanger, we conducted a medi<strong>at</strong>ed moder<strong>at</strong>ion analysis(see Muller, Judd, & Yzerbyt, 2005). <strong>The</strong> three regressionswere conducted with basel<strong>in</strong>e anger and sadness <strong>in</strong>cluded ascovari<strong>at</strong>es (see Table 3 and Figure 4). As theorized, the results<strong>in</strong>dic<strong>at</strong>ed th<strong>at</strong> human-agency appraisals medi<strong>at</strong>e the moder<strong>at</strong><strong>in</strong>geffect <strong>of</strong> BAS Drive on the effect <strong>of</strong> emotion conditionon subsequent anger experience.Inferential analysis: Optimistic risk estim<strong>at</strong>es. As <strong>in</strong> Study 1,we exam<strong>in</strong>ed whether emotional blunt<strong>in</strong>g would carry over toblunt optimistic risk estim<strong>at</strong>es. Consistent with our theoriz<strong>in</strong>g,the regression analysis revealed th<strong>at</strong> participants <strong>in</strong> thesadness condition made less optimistic risk estim<strong>at</strong>es than didthose <strong>in</strong> the anger condition, β –.23 (.25), t –1.91, p .06,d .40, support<strong>in</strong>g the hypothesis th<strong>at</strong> emotional blunt<strong>in</strong>gcarries over to blunt optimistic risk estim<strong>at</strong>es for participantswho first experienced sadness r<strong>at</strong>her than anger (see Table 3for complete regression analysis results).Subsequent Sadness Tre<strong>at</strong>ment ResultsInferential analysis: Blunt<strong>in</strong>g sadness. We explored thepossibility th<strong>at</strong> because <strong>of</strong> the rel<strong>at</strong>ion between BIS andneg<strong>at</strong>ive emotions such as sadness (Carver, 2004), sadness
W<strong>in</strong>terich et al. 11should be blunted by anger for participants with low BIS.Specifically, we conducted a regression for participants whoexperienced sadness as the subsequent emotion tre<strong>at</strong>ment.Emotion <strong>in</strong>duction, BIS, and their <strong>in</strong>teractions were the<strong>in</strong>dependent variables; self-reported composite sadnessscore was the dependent variable; and basel<strong>in</strong>e anger andsadness were <strong>in</strong>cluded as covari<strong>at</strong>es. We cre<strong>at</strong>ed two dummyvariables for emotion <strong>in</strong>duction because it is a three-levelc<strong>at</strong>egorical variable: sad, anger, and neutral. Sadness wasthe base comparison condition, with a dummy variable forthe anger and neutral conditions. <strong>The</strong> anger and neutraldummy variables were each <strong>in</strong>teracted with BIS.Results revealed th<strong>at</strong> the <strong>in</strong>teraction <strong>of</strong> sadness conditionand BIS was significant, β .35 (.44), t 2.23, p .05, aswas the <strong>in</strong>teraction <strong>of</strong> neutral condition and BIS, β .32(.46), t 2.08, p .05. See Table 3 for complete regressionanalysis results. To exam<strong>in</strong>e whether the p<strong>at</strong>tern <strong>of</strong> these<strong>in</strong>teractions is consistent with our predictions, we conductedsimple slope analysis <strong>at</strong> 1 SD below the mean <strong>of</strong> BIS. <strong>The</strong>key question <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>terest is whether sadness is blunted whenparticipants with low BIS are experienc<strong>in</strong>g anger rel<strong>at</strong>ive towhen participants with low BIS are experienc<strong>in</strong>g sadness.Indeed, anger condition participants reported less sadnessafter the subsequent sadness tre<strong>at</strong>ment than did sadness conditionparticipants, β –.44 (.69), t -2.38, p .05, d .49,<strong>in</strong>dic<strong>at</strong><strong>in</strong>g th<strong>at</strong> anger blunts the subsequent experience <strong>of</strong>sadness for <strong>in</strong>dividuals with low BIS. Susceptibility to thesadness tre<strong>at</strong>ment did not differ as a function <strong>of</strong> whether participantshad been previously exposed to a neutral <strong>in</strong>ductionor previously exposed to a sadness <strong>in</strong>duction, β –.33 (.71),t –1.62, p .10, d .34, which suggests th<strong>at</strong> it is the specificexperience <strong>of</strong> anger r<strong>at</strong>her than the experience <strong>of</strong> anyemotion (i.e., sadness) th<strong>at</strong> blunts sadness. Similar to theresults for anger as the subsequent emotion, we f<strong>in</strong>d no evidencefor emotional blunt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>at</strong> high levels (1 SD above themean) <strong>of</strong> BIS, as expected. <strong>The</strong>se f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs reveal th<strong>at</strong> bidirectionalemotional blunt<strong>in</strong>g occurred: Anger blunted theexperience <strong>of</strong> sadness, but only among those with low BIS. 8Medi<strong>at</strong><strong>in</strong>g role <strong>of</strong> situ<strong>at</strong>ional-agency appraisals. Similar tohuman-agency appraisals, we conducted medi<strong>at</strong>ed moder<strong>at</strong>ionanalysis (Muller et al., 2005) for situ<strong>at</strong>ional-agencyappraisals. As theorized, the results <strong>in</strong>dic<strong>at</strong>ed th<strong>at</strong> situ<strong>at</strong>ionalagencyappraisals medi<strong>at</strong>ed the moder<strong>at</strong><strong>in</strong>g effect <strong>of</strong> BIS onthe effect <strong>of</strong> emotion condition on subsequent sadness experience(see Table 3 and Figure 4).Inferential analysis: Optimistic risk estim<strong>at</strong>es. Recall th<strong>at</strong>another goal <strong>of</strong> this study was to determ<strong>in</strong>e whether the bidirectionaleffect <strong>of</strong> emotional blunt<strong>in</strong>g carried over to optimisticrisk estim<strong>at</strong>es. Given the rel<strong>at</strong>ion between anger andevalu<strong>at</strong>ions <strong>of</strong> risk discussed previously (Lerner & Keltner,2001; Rydell et al., 2008), we expected anger condition participantsto make more optimistic risk estim<strong>at</strong>es than sadnesscondition participants because the human-agency appraisalsassoci<strong>at</strong>ed with anger would blunt subsequent sadness,result<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> more optimistic risk estim<strong>at</strong>es. Test<strong>in</strong>g this effect,we found a significant <strong>in</strong>teraction <strong>of</strong> sadness condition andBIS, β –.40 (.22), t –2.55, p .05, d .53, and neutralcondition and BIS, β –.32 (.24), t –2.13, p .05, d .44.See Table 3 for complete regression analysis results. Todeterm<strong>in</strong>e whether these <strong>in</strong>teractions were consistent withour theoriz<strong>in</strong>g, we conducted simple slope analysis <strong>at</strong> 1 SDbelow the mean <strong>of</strong> BIS. <strong>The</strong> results showed th<strong>at</strong> anger conditionparticipants made more optimistic risk estim<strong>at</strong>es afterthe subsequent sadness tre<strong>at</strong>ment than did sadness conditionparticipants, β .46 (.35), t 2.54, p .05, <strong>in</strong>dic<strong>at</strong><strong>in</strong>g th<strong>at</strong> theblunt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> sadness among anger condition participants carriesover to <strong>in</strong>crease optimistic risk estim<strong>at</strong>es for <strong>in</strong>dividualswith low BIS. No system<strong>at</strong>ic differences were found <strong>in</strong> optimisticrisk estim<strong>at</strong>es, regardless <strong>of</strong> whether participants wereexposed to a neutral <strong>in</strong>duction or an anger <strong>in</strong>duction. Asanticip<strong>at</strong>ed, optimistic risk estim<strong>at</strong>es did not differ amongthose with high BIS. <strong>The</strong>se f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs replic<strong>at</strong>e the extension<strong>of</strong> emotional blunt<strong>in</strong>g to cognitions for the blunt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> sadness,but only among those with low BIS.We note the important role <strong>of</strong> motiv<strong>at</strong>ional systems, specifically<strong>in</strong>dividual differences <strong>in</strong> BIS and BAS, <strong>in</strong> this study.Though agency appraisals are demonstr<strong>at</strong>ed to be the mechanismthrough which emotion-specific emotional blunt<strong>in</strong>goccurs, agency appraisals did not act alone <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>fluenc<strong>in</strong>gemotion transitions.In sum, Study 2 makes three ma<strong>in</strong> contributions to ourunderstand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> emotional blunt<strong>in</strong>g. First, we demonstr<strong>at</strong>eth<strong>at</strong> emotional blunt<strong>in</strong>g is medi<strong>at</strong>ed by self-reported agencyappraisals. <strong>The</strong>se f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs support our theoriz<strong>in</strong>g th<strong>at</strong> subsequentemotional experience may be blunted when characterizedby contrast<strong>in</strong>g appraisals. Second, we show th<strong>at</strong>emotional blunt<strong>in</strong>g is bidirectional for both subsequent emotionsand cognitive outcomes. Specifically, participants <strong>in</strong>the sadness condition experienced less subsequent anger andless optimistic risk estim<strong>at</strong>es than did participants <strong>in</strong> the neutralor anger condition, and participants <strong>in</strong> the anger conditionexperienced less subsequent sadness and more optimisticrisk estim<strong>at</strong>es than did participants <strong>in</strong> the anger or neutralcondition. Third, the <strong>in</strong>fluential role <strong>of</strong> BIS and BAS <strong>in</strong> thisstudy suggests th<strong>at</strong> emotional blunt<strong>in</strong>g may be affected bythese motiv<strong>at</strong>ional systems or by other conceptually relevant<strong>in</strong>dividual differences (see Figure 1). Most emotion researchersagree th<strong>at</strong> emotions may be differenti<strong>at</strong>ed from eachother on several different dimensions, and we f<strong>in</strong>d th<strong>at</strong> BISand BAS moder<strong>at</strong>e the role <strong>of</strong> agency appraisals <strong>in</strong> emotionalblunt<strong>in</strong>g.Study 3: Effects <strong>of</strong> Agency<strong>Appraisals</strong> on Subsequent AngerAlthough measures <strong>of</strong> agency appraisal (as <strong>in</strong> Study 2) revealthe potentially causal role <strong>of</strong> such appraisals, it is importantto experimentally manipul<strong>at</strong>e appraisals to have <strong>in</strong>creased
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