On the Seesaw

Research on emotional states has not usually addressed situations in which the person experiences a certain emotion, but the external stimulus that evoked and maintains this emotion suddenly disappears. This article attempts to recognize certain consequences of those conditions under which the stimuli justifying our experience of emotional states such as fear or anxiety suddenly disappear. Research done to date by the author and his colleagues indicates increased compliance of the subject when addressed with various requests or suggestions in the situation termed here "emotional seesaw" or "fear-then-relief." The phenomenon was found to be reliable and strong in both field studies and lab experiments.