Challenge and threat responses to anger communication in coalition formation

Research on multiparty negotiation has investigated how parties form coalitions to secure payoffs but has not assessed the underlying self-regulatory and physiological principles. Integrating insights from research on the social functions of emotions and the bio-psychosocial model as proposed by Blascovich and colleagues, we assessed threat and challenge responses to anger communication in a three-player coalition setting. Depending on condition, participants were confronted with an angry message from either their initially-preferred coalition partner or from both their preferred and not-preferred coalition partner. Results showed that this manipulation had an impact on the cardiovascular (CV) response of participants and their subsequent behavior. In the “preferred player angry” condition participants displayed a CV-pattern indicative of challenge while in the “all player angry” condition participants displayed a CV-pattern indicative of threat. Moreover, compared to threatened participants, challenged participants were more likely to switch coalition partner. We discuss the implications of these results for theorizing on emotions, coalition formation, and the BPSM.

► We examine cardiovascular indices of challenge/threat during coalition formation. ► Anger by a coalition partner led to challenge and switching coalition partner. ► We discuss the implications for anger expression during coalition formation. ► We discuss the integration of psychophysiology and economic psychology.