MASKING OF EMOTIONS IN THE PROCESS OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

Abstract

The article deals with masking of emotions in communicative interaction. Interpersonal communication is highly influenced by the interlocutors’ feelings and emotions. One way in which the very interpersonality of interpersonal communication affects its character is display rules. Interlocutors sometimes have to control the way they display their emotions and feelings. This article considers the three expression management techniques or display rules: inhibition, masking, and simulation. Inhibition involves giving the impression of having no feelings when one truly experiences some emotion. Masking involves communicating an emotion that is entirely different than the one a person is experiencing. Simulation involves displaying an emotion when no such emotion is being experienced. Masking may be regarded as a combination of inhibiting and simulating. Emotion regulation decisions are based on politeness rituals, situational appropriateness and individual goals. Masking is vital during manipulation. Any emotional expression can be used to conceal any other emotion. Emotions are displayed via verbal and non-verbal means of communication. Nonverbal channels are likely to ‘leak’ information deliberately concealed in the controllable verbal channel. Smiles are often used to mask certain feelings. Interlocutors use smiles either to mask negative emotions or to appear as if positive feelings are felt. The smile mask is often selected because many lies require some signal of happiness in order to successfully pull off deceit. Another reason the smile is used as a mask so often is because smiling is part of standard greetings. The interpretation of a smile depends on the communicative situation in which it occurs, the emotional state of the addressee, the relationship between the interlocutors, etc. The emotions and feelings are portrayed in literary texts. The authors either use lexemes-nominations of different emotional states or depict characters’ movements, gestures and postures that convey emotional information and help readers to correctly identify the emotions. The readers’ inferences spring from the interaction of textual information and their own experience and knowledge.