Gaming Emotions in Social Interactions
47 Pages Posted: 25 Jan 2008 Last revised: 15 Jun 2009
Date Written: 2009
Abstract
One's own emotions may influence someone else's behavior in a social interaction. If one believes this, s/he has an incentive to game emotions-to strategically modify the expression of a current emotional state-in an attempt to influence her/his counterpart. In a series of three experiments, this article investigates the extent to which people (1) misrepresent a current emotional state, (2) willfully acknowledge their strategic actions, (3) choose to game emotions over non-emotional information, and (4) improve their financial wellbeing from emotion gaming.
Keywords: emotions, negotiations, feelings, affect, social interaction
JEL Classification: M00
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation