Abstract
Research into the regulation of emotions in sport and exercise continues to progress with a focus on intrapersonal strategies to control or manage any or all emotional response systems (i.e., subjective experience, cognitions, or physiological responses). Researchers in the broader psychology however, are increasingly recognizing that the emotion process is inherently social and interpersonal (Niven, Totterdell, & Holman, 2009; Parkinson, Fischer, & Manstead, 2005). This shift could represent significant changes in how emotion regulation in sport is conceptualized. This study reviews a social-functional approach to emotion within sport which explains that the primary purpose of expressing emotion is to achieve subsequent indirect interpersonal effects and thereby mediate the social interaction between individuals (Parkinson, 1996). To exemplify, Van Kleef's (2009) Emotions As Social Information (EASI) model is presented. The EASI model explains how the emotional expressions of one individual may influence the behaviour of another individual (e.g., a coach to an athlete). It is hypothesized that this influence occurs through affective responses such as emotion contagion and through inferential processing. The extent to which avenue occurs is suggested to be moderated by the information processing abilities and motivation of the observer and by social-relational factors. This presentation will propose that the EASI model represents a viable theoretical and empirical foundation in which to pursue the study of interpersonal emotion regulation in sport and exercise.Acknowledgments: Economic and Social Research Council (United Kingdom)