Emotional intensity is capped by the subjective importance of the emotion’s function.

Evidence

According to Brehm (1999), the upper limit on emotional intensity is the importance of attaining the function of the emotion. In the case of collective guilt, the upper limit on collective guilt will be determined by the subjective importance of creating or restoring a just or moral relationship with harmed outgroups. When the importance of making reparations is low, then deterrents to collective guilt can easily outweigh the importance of making reparations. In addition, the motivation to make reparations will be quite low. In contrast, when importance is very high, deterrents to guilt will continue to increase guilt to a much higher level of deterrence. — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 589

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Emotional intensity rises to a maximum set by function importance when deterrents are unknown. — Michael T. Schmitt, Daniel A. Miller, Nyla R. Branscombe, and Jack W. Brehm, The Difficulty of Making Reparations…, 31; Known deterrents produce non-monotonic emotional intensity peaking at function importance. — Michael T. Schmitt, Daniel A. Miller, Nyla R. Branscombe, and Jack W. Brehm, The Difficulty of Making Reparations…, 32; Emotional intensity rises then falls as deterrents increase. — Michael T. Schmitt, Daniel A. Miller, Nyla R. Branscombe, and Jack W. Brehm, The Difficulty of Making Reparations…, 26 (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• Emotional intensity rises to a maximum set by function importance when deterrents are unknown. #expands (0.82) — Michael T. Schmitt, Daniel A. Miller, Nyla R. Branscombe, and Jack W. Brehm, The Difficulty of Making Reparations…, 31
• Known deterrents produce non-monotonic emotional intensity peaking at function importance. #qualifies (0.78) — Michael T. Schmitt, Daniel A. Miller, Nyla R. Branscombe, and Jack W. Brehm, The Difficulty of Making Reparations…, 32
• Emotional intensity rises then falls as deterrents increase. #qualifies (0.76) — Michael T. Schmitt, Daniel A. Miller, Nyla R. Branscombe, and Jack W. Brehm, The Difficulty of Making Reparations…, 26
• Emotional intensity follows an inverted-U curve as deterrents grow #qualifies (0.76) — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 562
• Emotions adaptively mobilize attention, behavior hierarchies, and physiology to respond to environmental demands. #corroborates (0.74) — Michael T. Schmitt, Daniel A. Miller, Nyla R. Branscombe, and Jack W. Brehm, The Difficulty of Making Reparations…, 24
• Emotions function as motivational drives that organize behavior toward valued outcomes. #expands (0.73) — Michael T. Schmitt, Daniel A. Miller, Nyla R. Branscombe, and Jack W. Brehm, The Difficulty of Making Reparations…, 22
• Emotions function as thermometers of the attentional ecosystem between persons #expands (0.72) — Yves Citton, The Ecology of Attention, 266