Effect of Negative Emotional Experience and Attribution of Responsibility on Negative Interpersonal Affects

Abstract

The present study attempted to examine the effects of emotional route and cognitive route on negative\rinterpersonal affects (NIA) formation, and to propose the cognitive intervention procedure in cognitive route. In\rStudy 1, 238 high school students rated the perceived negative emotional reactions, attributions of responsibility,\rand NIA for three hypothetical situations describing avoidance, rejection, and authoritative interpersonal conflicts\rwith classmates. The findings indicated that the effect of cognitive route was stronger than that of emotional route\rin avoidance and authoritative situations. There was also evidence suggesting that the causal attributions of\rintentional — acceptable and unintentional — unavoidable affected NIA formation more than those of intentional —\runacceptable and unintentional — avoidable. In Study 2, avoidance and authoritative situations were presented to\r244 high school students. In both situations, one of four attributional information elements was presented, then the\rsubjects rated NIA. The result was consistent with that of Study 1 that the attributions of intentional — acceptable\rand unintentional — unavoidable prompted NIA formation.