The Expression Regulation Scale (ERS): Validation of three emotion dimensions for expressive norms with close and distant others in private and public contexts

The social norms for expression that guide emotional communication are critical for successful interpersonal interaction. However, the intricate emotional architecture underpinning these norms has remained largely unexplored. Our study is the first in-depth investigation of expressive norms across a wide spectrum of 64 theory-informed emotions. We measured expressive norms ranging from suppression to over-expression within two different contexts (public vs. private) and interactant types (close relations vs. distant others). Using a theory-building subsample (n = 507), we employed ant colony optimization (AOC) and a suite of factor analytical techniques to distill the emotions into three dimensions: harmonious, vulnerable, and disharmonious. Subsequent validation in a separate confirmatory subsample (n = 506) supported this structure in all situations (conditions), providing evidence these dimensions are robust. Notably, this new Expression Regulation Scale (ERS) demonstrated scalar invariance across all situations using repeated measures Confirmatory Factor Analysis. We introduce scoring metrics and norms to aid researchers and practitioners in their analytical endeavors and highlight potential avenues for future research aimed at enriching our understanding of expression regulation.