Which belief holds that expressing or venting negative emotions provides emotional relief but is often ineffective?

• A. Broaden-and-Build Theory
• B. Catharsis Hypothesis
• C. Expressive Behaviors
• D. Polygraph

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is that venting or expressing negative emotions provides immediate emotional relief but doesn’t reliably reduce distress in the long run. This belief is captured by the Catharsis Hypothesis. It suggests that letting out these feelings can feel relief-giving right after the venting, but research shows that it often doesn’t improve overall emotional well-being and can even keep you stuck in negative thinking or arousal by reinforcing the focus on those emotions. In other words, the relief is temporary and not consistently therapeutic over time.

This differs from the Broaden-and-Build Theory, which centers on how positive emotions expand our thinking and build lasting resources, not on venting negative feelings. Expressive Behaviors refers to the outward expression itself, not a claim about whether venting helps or hurts. A Polygraph is simply a device for detecting deception, not a belief about emotional processing.