LAUSR

Abstract Existing self-report scales of emotional expression are limited by not assessing both frequency of emotional experience and tendency to suppress expression. We developed a new self-report scale named the Emotion Experience and Expressive Suppression Scale (EEESS) that was administered to 1490 undergraduate students from one university and the resulting two factor structure was confirmed in 645 undergraduate students from a separate university. The combined sample (2135 participants; 63% female) was used to examine relationships between EEESS scale factors and severity of schizotypy and depression. The frequency of emotional experience and expression suppression loaded onto separate factors for negative, but not positive, emotions. Therefore, analyses of positive emotions were limited to likelihood of expression suppression. Depression and overall schizotypy severity each positively related to frequency of experiencing and suppressing negative expressions. Depression severity related to increased likelihood of suppressing expression of both positive and negative emotions, while schizotypy severity related to increased likelihood of suppressing only positive expressions. The four schizotypy factors showed unique differential relationships with EEESS factors. The EEESS is a promising 14-item measure which revealed novel findings about suppression of emotion expression in relation to depression and schizotypy.