Individual Differences in Feelings of Certainty Surrounding Mixed Emotions

Abstract

Despite their association, ambivalence is not the same as uncertainty. However, there is little work on differences between people in how uncertain they feel about their mixed emotions. In two samples, we tested the relationship between the intensity of mixed emotions and self-reported certainty of those feelings on a trial-to-trial basis. We additionally tested whether this relationship was moderated by personality and emotional traits. In the first sample of 140 participants, we found a significant negative relationship between the intensity of mixed feelings and affective certainty, and this relationship was lessened in those with higher emotional intelligence. We next conducted a pre-registered online study with 310 participants in a sample more demographically representative of the United States. We replicated our finding that uncertainty was predicted by higher intensity of co-occurring positive and negative affect, but not the moderating effect of emotional intelligence. Trait meta-mood, however, did moderate this relationship. Our results show that despite the abstract nature, and potentially different interpretations, of asking people to report how certain they are of how they feel, meaningful variation is found in responses. Future work can refine methods of gauging affective uncertainty, and the implication of affective certainty for mixed emotions on well-being.