Abstract
Although core theories underscore the temporal and interpersonal aspects of emotions, such theoretical models are currently insufficient to understand how the temporal dynamics and interpersonal nature of emotions interact with one another. How might different interpersonal interactions precipitate one’s emotional dynamism? How might the temporal flow of emotions within an individual impact the interpersonal functioning in relationships between individuals? Accordingly, my dissertation employs a full-cycle approach, combining inductive, abductive, and deductive methods to pioneer and test theory on the phenomenon of emotional whiplash—a relatively sudden and significantly dramatic shift (either in valence and/or arousal) in one’s emotions—and, more broadly, interpersonal emotion dynamics at work. Across six studies, I find that (1) expectancy violations by others drive the experience of emotional whiplash in individuals and (2) observing others’ expressions of emotional whiplash elicits positive affective reactions, sustains trust, and promotes support behavior when the cause of emotional whiplash is attributed to uncontrollable factors but suppresses trustworthiness inferences, dampens trust, and facilitates withdrawal behavior when the cause is attributed to controllable factors. Taken together, by integrating the streams of research on the temporal and interpersonal aspects of emotions, I establish a novel type of emotional change, emotional whiplash. I also shift extant focus from negative relational disruptions to interpersonal expectancy violations as a broader, bivalent trigger of emotion dynamics and, in turn, move beyond prior scholarship that views emotions as static byproducts of relational violations. Finally, I advance knowledge on how and why relationships at work may strengthen or disintegrate over the course of an interaction, as well as enrich the burgeoning body of literature on emotions and trust by exploring the dynamics of trust alongside the dynamics of emotions.
Committee Chair
Andrew Knight
Committee Members
Ashley Hardin; Gerben van Kleef; Giselle Antoine; Hillary Anger Elfenbein
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Author's Department
Organizational Behavior
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
5-5-2026
Language
English (en)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7936/9htw-tb05
Recommended Citation
Hsu, Emily, "Up, Down, and All Around: Emotional Whiplash and Its Effects on Interpersonal Trust and Relationships at Work" (2026). Olin Business School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations. 74.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.7936/9htw-tb05