Theoretical Distinctions Between Emotion and Cognition Content in Supportive Messages: Examining Effects and Mediating Mechanisms

What constitutes effective supportive message content is a topic of intense interdisciplinary scholarly interest and has palpable real-world implications for individuals’ well-being. Emotion and cognition content are two commonly theorized supportive message forms. Although both are theorized to operate through conversationally induced reappraisal, their relative effects, underlying mediating mechanisms, and boundary conditions for effectiveness are underexplored in experimental research. Three studies (Study 1: N = 852; Study 2: N = 343; Study 3: N = 512) compared the effects of emotion and cognition content, and one tested mediating mechanisms (Study 3). Situational esteem threat was manipulated to examine self-conscious emotion as a moderator. Cognition content was more effective than emotion content when esteem threat was high; differences narrowed when esteem threat was low. Differences were explained, in part, by reappraisal and interpersonal perceptions. Findings suggest message effects depend on degree of esteem threat, and content impacts outcomes via different routes.