Emotional Style: A Patterns of Experiencing and Expressing Emotions

Emotional Style: Our Patterns of Experiencing and Expressing Emotions

We feel life. Life is a stream of emotion. Emotional Style is our way of responding to the felt experience of living. Emotional Style influences the likelihood of feeling particular emotional states, traits, and moods. Richard Davidson, a leading researcher of emotions, and also a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, theorizes that we have individual emotional styles that form our relationship with experiences. Davidson identifies six different components that contribute to our individual emotional style.

Emotional Trait, Emotional State, and Emotional Style

Emotional trait, state and style are different aspects of emotion. Understanding the differences may help with regulating. An emotional trait is our likelihood to experience a particular emotion. Our biological makeup and experiences form our emotional traits. Emotional states are the feeling affects experienced from encountering stimuli. Feeling affects typically only last a few seconds after being triggered by experience. The immediate arousal of an emotional state quickly dissipates, giving way to the next state.

Emotional style is our consistent and patterned way of responding to our passing emotional states. Richard J. Davidson and Sharon Begley refer to emotional style as the “atoms of our emotional lives” (Davidson & Begley, 2012).

Six Dimensions of Emotional Style

These six dimensions of emotional style are Outlook, Resilience, Social Intuition, Self-Awareness, Sensitivity to Context, and Attention. Each of these dimensions are measured on a continuum. When an individual measures on an extreme (either too low or too high), they experience some emotional dysfunction.

Davidson suggests looking at the six dimensions as, “The recipe for your emotional makeup” (Davidson & Begley, 2012). He also encourages familiarity with our emotional styles. He advises that, “Becoming more familiar with your emotional style is the first and most important step in transforming it” (Davidson & Begley, 2012).

1. Resilience

Resilience is how slowly or quickly we recover from adversity. Arousal accompanies adversity. Organisms respond to threats and opportunities through emotion, drawing attention to important stimuli in the environment. Threatening stimuli from an event or series of events arouses our system, commandeers attention, and motivates action. This process is life sustaining—an adaptive reaction for survival. The adaptive value deteriorates with extremes of response. When arousal is quickly dismissed and the system returns to normal homeostatic balance without necessary adjustment in behavior, the overly resilient individual may suffer consequences of inaction.

On the opposite end of the continuum, when an individual is unable to mediate the arousal, heightened anxiety or boiling anger may motivate unhealthy behaviors that interfere with long term goals.

Davidson explains the danger of extremes in resilience like this:

An extremely resilient person can lack the motivation to overcome challenges, accepting every setback with a metaphorical shrug and an attitude of “don’t worry, be happy.” In contrast, being Slow to Recover can prevent you from moving forward after a setback, causing you to continue to fume and obsess over something that is over and done with (Davidson & Begley, 2012).

2. Outlook

Outlook refers to our ability to sustain positive emotion over time. People at the high extreme of the Outlook spectrum tend to be positive, enthusiastic, or even Pollyannaish in attitude. “Once a positive emotion (e.g., joy, pride, awe) arises in them, it persists for a longer duration” (Kesebir et al., 2019).

Positive emotions have beneficial purposes. They encourage approach and exploration. Barbara Fredrickson refers to this as a broaden and build attitude. She theorizes that positive emotions are essential for growth and development. In the extreme, however, overly positive emotions may shield us from necessary and protective discomforting emotions.

Social Intuition refers to our degree of attunement to nonverbal social cues. People high on the Social Intuition dimension are adept at reading facial expressions, body language or vocal intonation that project information about underlying emotional states. We may have experienced conversations where the person pauses midsentence in reaction to a nonverbal cue we are projecting. People possessing a high amount of social intuition pickup on slight cues for rejection or acceptance.

People low on this dimension, on the other hand, have difficulty picking up and decoding subtle emotional signals. They may blab on for hours even when our face expresses notable signs of disinterest. Extreme insensitivity to such signals characterizes people on the autism spectrum, who struggle to read facial expressions and other social.

People with acute sensitivity to the emotional states of others display high levels of empathy and compassion. At high levels of sensitivity, this may disrupt healthy interaction. Attunement to emotion doesn’t necessarily lead to correct interpretation of causes for the emotion. We may astutely pick-up on anger but wrongly attribute it to a personalized cause. We may subjectively think, “she is mad at me” when in reality she is angry with someone else. Davidson suggests that social sensitivity is “the hallmark of some of our greatest teachers, therapists, and others in thee caring professions” (Davidson & Begley, 2012).

4. Self-Awareness

Self-Awareness is a crucial aspect of emotional intelligence, encompassing our ability to recognize and understand our internal emotional states as they occur. Individuals who score high in this dimension possess an acute sensitivity to their physiological and emotional cues, allowing them to interpret these feelings with accuracy. This heightened awareness enables them to navigate their emotions effectively, fostering better decision-making and interpersonal relationships. By being attuned to their internal experiences, they can respond appropriately to various situations, leading to healthier interactions and improved mental well-being.

Conversely, those low in Self-Awareness often struggle with recognizing the emotions that arise within them. They may find themselves acting on impulses without fully understanding the underlying feelings driving those actions. This lack of insight can hinder personal growth and make it challenging for individuals to address issues or conflicts in their lives effectively. As a result, they might miss opportunities for self-improvement or fail to learn from past experiences due to a disconnect between their feelings and behaviors. Enhancing self-awareness through practices such as mindfulness or introspection can significantly impact one’s capacity for change and emotional regulation over time.

See Self-Awareness for more on this topic

5. Sensitivity to Context

Sensitivity to Context refers to the degree we consider social context in forming our emotional and behavioral responses. This dimension measures the degree of an outer awareness. When high in outer awareness, we may mitigate emotional reactions to normally upsetting circumstances because we understand, given the context, the circumstances are to be expected.

Sensitivity to the rules of social engagement and the ability to regulate oneself within these rules is the essence of Sensitivity to Context. People high on this dimension know how to adapt to the implicit rules and expectations governing the variety of different social situations.

People low on this dimension are often insufficiently in tune to social situations and their behavior may appear inappropriate. Within this dimension we find the paradox between autonomy and conformity. Healthy living requires a balance, starting with an awareness of the surrounding context.

See Context Dependent for more on this topic

6. Attention

Attention refers to the ability to screen out distractions and stay focused. People high in this dimension keep a sharp and clear focus. Attention is our ability to stay focused on important tasks during distracting and sometimes chaotic life events. The attention of those low in this dimension is easily captured by various unimportant stimuli in the environment. Attention is typically regarded as a component of the executive functions of cognitions.

In regards to emotional style, a distinction is made between emotional stimuli and sensory stimuli. “Emotional stimuli (as opposed to sensory stimuli) command an untoward share of our attention, and the ability to filter out emotional distractions is closely linked to psychological well-being” (Kesebir et al., 2019).

Scoring high on this dimension is associated with working through emotional distractions without getting pulled off course by the bumpy ride of emotions. Goals continue to guide decisions rather than frequent forays into dangerous territories chasing emotional impulses.

Can Emotional Styles Change?

Our brains are not static and unchangeable. Although, emotional styles are scientifically linked to specific functions of the brain, they are not unchangeable. The brain has neuroplasticity. It changes with exposure to inner and outer experiences. The brain adapts to changes by transforming both its structure and function. Davidson explains, “These changes include altering the function of brain regions, expanding or contracting the amount of neural territory devoted to particular tasks, strengthening or weakening connections between different brain regions, increasing or decreasing the level of activity in specific brain circuits, and modulating the neurochemical messenger service that continuously courses through the brain” (Davidson & Begley, 2012).

Practices of mindfulness, healthy living, positive experiences, and supportive relationships have great power to positively modify emotional styles, creating a healthier relationship with our emotions. We can’t force emotions to change through will power; we must add practices to our lives that invite change.

Associated Concepts

Socioemotional Selectivity Theory: This Theory proposes that as individuals age, they become increasingly selective about their social networks and invest more in emotionally meaningful relationships.
Interpersonal Style: This refers to the patterned ways individuals interact with each other.
Self-Concept: This refers to the narrative we hold about ourselves, including perception of strengths and weaknesses, and personality traits.
Emotional Sensitivity: This refers to our level of attunement to internal and external emotions. Optimal levels of emotional sensitivity tend to motivate healthy responses to internal emotions, as well as express appropriate empathy and concerns for others.
Big-Five Personality Traits: These also known as the Five-Factor Model (FFM). they are a widely accepted framework for describing and categorizing human personality. They are five broad dimensions that capture different aspects of an individual’s personality and behavior. The five traits are: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
Aloofness: This refers to a personality characteristic of being emotionally distant, reserved, or detached in social interactions. Individuals with an aloof personality may appear uninterested or disengaged, often preferring solitude and maintaining a sense of emotional independence.

A Few Words by Psychology Fanatic

Emotional style research offers an invaluable framework for comprehending the intricate tapestry of human personalities. By examining the six dimensions—Resilience, Outlook, Social Intuition, Self-Awareness, Sensitivity to Context, and Attention—we gain a clearer understanding of how individuals experience and express emotions. This nuanced perspective allows us to identify not only our strengths but also areas ripe for transformation.

The emotional styles theory encourages introspection and exploration, directing our focus toward aspects of our emotional lives that we may previously have overlooked or misinterpreted. As we navigate through life’s complexities, this heightened awareness can illuminate patterns in our behavior and reactions that impact our relationships with ourselves and others.

As we delve deeper into these dimensions of emotional style, we open up pathways for personal growth and improved well-being. Life is an ongoing journey marked by myriad experiences that flow through us; some resonate deeply while others slip away unnoticed. By fostering a better understanding of our emotional responses and tendencies, we empower ourselves to make informed choices about how we engage with the world around us.

Embracing this knowledge not only enriches our individual lives but also enhances the collective fabric of human connection. Ultimately, as we cultivate greater self-awareness and resilience within ourselves, we contribute positively to the broader community—a ripple effect that nurtures empathy and fosters healthier interactions in all spheres of life.

Last Update: January 16, 2026

References:

Davidson, Richard J.; Begley, Sharon (2012). The Emotional Life of Your Brain: How Its Unique Patterns Affect the Way You Think, Feel, and Live—and How You Can Change Them. Avery; 1st edition. ISBN: 9780452298880
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Kesebir, P., Gasiorowska, A., Goldman, R., Hirshberg, M., & Davidson, R. (2019). Emotional Style Questionnaire: A Multidimensional Measure of Healthy Emotionality. Psychological Assessment, 31(10), 1234-1246. DOI: 10.1037/pas0000745
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