Feeling "Fake": The Effects of Suppressing Emotions on Self-Other Perceptions of Authenticity

This experiment tested how regulating one's emotional expression impacts perceived authenticity. Participants were randomly assigned to a suppression, exaggeration, or control condition during a conversation with a previously unacquainted partner. Results indicate that only suppressors felt more inauthentic. There were no differences across conditions in partner impressions of authenticity, however.