Daily Expressive Suppression and Negative Affect Among Asian Americans: Does Interdependence, Emotion Valence, and Relationship Type Matter?

Expressive suppression is defined as the inhibition of emotion displays. Most studies among European Americans have found expressive suppression to be associated with poorer mental health. However, cross-cultural studies have shown that these associations are mixed for Asian Americans, with some studies finding negative associations, non-significant associations, and positive associations between expressive suppression and poorer mental health. As such, an investigation of within-group variability in the function of expressive suppression across emotion valence (i.e., negative vs. positive emotions) and suppression targets (i.e., with unfamiliar others vs. close others) among this group may help unpack these findings. The current study examined the relationships between daily expressive suppression and negative affect by emotion valence and relationship types, and whether these relationships were moderated by interdependent values among a sample of Asian American college students. Seventy-eight Asian Americans completed a 14-day daily diary study. There was no significant main effect of daily expressive suppression with close others on negative affect. Interdependent values moderated the relationship between daily expressive suppression of negative emotions, but not positive emotions, and same-day negative affect in close relationships, such that individuals who suppressed negative emotions with close others tended to experience greater negative affect among those who endorsed low interdependent values. Findings highlighted the importance of emotion valence and relationship types. Further, the findings demonstrated the potential protective role of interdependent values in buffering the maladaptive link between expressive suppression of both positive and negative emotions in close relationships and negative affect.