Emotional intensity rises then falls as deterrents increase.

Evidence

Generalizing from previous work on motivational arousal (Brehm & Self, 1989), the theory of emotional intensity assumes that the intensity of a given emotion is a nonmonotonic function of the perceived magnitude of deterrence to attaining the function of the emotion. A deterrent is ‘any factor that resists or opposes the function of the emotion’ (Brehm, 1999, p. 5). Such factors include those that deter feeling the emotion, and those that deter behaviors urged by the emotion. — Michael T. Schmitt, Daniel A. Miller, Nyla R. Branscombe, and Jack W. Brehm, The Difficulty of Making Reparations…, 26

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the key construct ‘deterrent’ and the core nonmonotonic prediction of emotional-intensity theory.
• XREF: connects to: Emotional intensity follows an inverted-U curve as deterrents grow — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt: International…, 562; Emotional intensity is capped by the subjective importance of the emotion’s function. — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt: International…, 589; State crackdown and emotional exhaustion followed activist peak moments — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and…, 530 (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• Known deterrents produce non-monotonic emotional intensity peaking at function importance. #expands (0.88) — Michael T. Schmitt, Daniel A. Miller, Nyla R. Branscombe, and Jack W. Brehm, The Difficulty of Making Reparations…, 32
• Motivational intensity rises and falls nonlinearly with task difficulty. #corroborates (0.85) — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 558
• Emotional intensity rises to a maximum set by function importance when deterrents are unknown. #qualifies (0.83) — Michael T. Schmitt, Daniel A. Miller, Nyla R. Branscombe, and Jack W. Brehm, The Difficulty of Making Reparations…, 31
• Most people become temporarily more authoritarian when threat rises, then revert as threat fades #exemplifies (0.78) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 842