Socially Shared Affect: Shared Affect, Affect Sharing, and Affective Processing in Groups

Objective: This review explores groups as affective processing social entities. We examine the reciprocal relationships between socially shared affect and the affective experiences of group members such as moods and emotions. Method: The review applies a unifying theme of social sharedness to consid...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Group dynamics 2023-12, Vol.27 (4), p.229-256
Main Authors: Hinsz, Verlin B., Bui, Linh
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Emotional States
Emotions
Group Dynamics
Human
Interpersonal Relationships
Responses
Sharing (Social Behavior)
Work Teams
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Summary:Objective: This review explores groups as affective processing social entities. We examine the reciprocal relationships between socially shared affect and the affective experiences of group members such as moods and emotions. Method: The review applies a unifying theme of social sharedness to consider affective processes in group settings which are demonstrated with shared affect (e.g., affect convergence) and affect sharing (e.g., contagion). Several group topics related to socially shared affect are discussed such as group cohesiveness, shared affect norms, task interdependence, member stability, leadership, and group effectiveness. Results: The sharedness of affective experiences of group members can be arrayed along three dimensions: affective events, affective states, and affective appraisals. Each of these dimensions is described for its relevance to socially shared affect, which is illustrated with shared affective appraisals incorporating shared awareness, shared sensemaking and shared representations of affect. The examination of socially shared affect highlights a number of patterns of relationships including shared affect and affect sharing biases in which groups process affect in ways that exaggerates the typical affective responses of group members. Many of these patterns can be appreciated by carefully examining the distributional characteristics of group member affective responses. Conclusion: This review provides insights gained from examining socially shared affect with a focus on how affective experiences are shared and are being shared in groups. This review generates implications for the vast assortment of group settings in general, while illustrating socially shared affect with teams in organizations and group psychotherapy as examples. Highlights and Implications * The affective experiences of group members are shown to be socially shared in that the affect is shared (held in common) as well as being shared (exchanged) among members. * The degree that group members share affective experiences similarly can be described in terms of the affective events that lead to changes in affect, the affective states such as moods and emotions that members experience, and the way the affect is appraised or interpreted by group members. * Patterns of relationships are demonstrated including shared affect and affect sharing biases in which groups exaggerate affective processing such that group members have enhanced or diminished affect resulting from
ISSN:1089-2699
1930-7802
DOI:10.1037/gdn0000207