What is an example of emotional contagion management in groups?

Setting clear emotional boundaries is an effective way to manage emotional contagion within groups. This practice helps individuals understand the limits and expectations regarding emotional expression and interactions among group members. By establishing these boundaries, group leaders can foster a positive environment, reduce the risk of negative emotions spreading, and encourage constructive engagement. Clear boundaries allow individuals to express their feelings while remaining mindful of how those emotions might influence others, thereby helping to maintain emotional balance in the group.

Encouraging all participants to express themselves, while well-intentioned, may inadvertently lead to an overflow of emotions, especially if negative feelings are voiced without structure. Aggregating negative feelings fails to address how those feelings might affect group dynamics as it could amplify negative emotions rather than manage them. Minimizing individual experiences could lead to resentment or conflict, as group members may feel dismissed or unheard, which is counterproductive to managing emotional contagion. Hence, setting clear emotional boundaries is the most effective strategy among the choices presented for managing emotional contagion in groups.