Bargaining with feeling: emotionality in and around negotiation

To tackle the subject and manage this paradox, we divide this chapter into five segments. We begin with definitions of key terms. The terms “emotion,” “affect,” and “mood” are commonly used interchangeably, but, as we will explain, these terms have distinctive meanings for researchers studying emotions. We then offer a narrative review of published studies, both conceptual and empirical, that address emotional processes in the psychology of bilateral negotiation. A third section examines emotion in two important applied negotiation contexts: crisis negotiation and third-party conflict resolution. The fourth major segment of the chapter looks forward, highlighting emotion research in areas that offer promise for an analysis of negotiation. These include intraindividual processes grounded in psychobiology involving the experience of emotion, and research on emotional expression and regulation. In a final section, we argue for a broader, subjectivist view of emotion in negotiation and offer some concluding thoughts about ways in which this might be accomplished.