Abstract
Emotion research within the broader psychology discipline continues to explore the social nature of emotion and interpersonal attempts to regulate emotion (Totterdell, Niven, & Holman 2010; Rimé, 2009). Despite this, research exploring the emotion regulation in sport and exercise contexts continues to focus on intrapersonal strategies. This study explored the process of interpersonal emotion regulation in ice hockey. Van Kleef's (2009) Emotions As Social Information (EASI) model is utilised as a theoretical guide.Twelve British ice hockey players were interviewed. In accordance with the EASI model, results demonstrated two avenues by which the emotional expressions of one player influenced the behaviour of their teammate: The first was emotional contagion (Hatfield, Cacioppo, & Rapson, 1994) whereby the emotion experienced by one player was mimicked by other teammates. Their mimicry was then reported to change the actual emotional states of the teammates whose behaviour subsequently changed to cope with the challenges of the situation. The second was through inferential processing (Keltner & Haidt, 1999) whereby a player is motivated to understand the emotional significance of a situation to a teammate and in turn adjust their behaviour accordingly. The discussion addresses practical recommendations which may be incorporated into an applied sport psychology intervention for both team and individual athletes.Acknowledgments: Economic and Social Research Council (United Kingdom)