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Open research questions in Emotions and Moral Behavior

354 gap statements mined from Emotions and Moral Behavior papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 4,185 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • The optimal factor structure of the FREE scale is unknown. The relationship between the FREE scale and emotion regulation self-efficacy is not well understood. The predictive validity of the FREE scale regarding mental health outcomes and relationship stress is not established.

    Flexible Regulation of Positive and Negative Emotion Expression: Reexamining the Factor Structure of the Flexible Regulation of Emotional Expression Scale (FREE) Based on Emotion Valence · 2024 · DOI

  • Negative emotions can often serve as a proximal driver of toxic dynamics in organizations, yet the role of leaders' malicious envy remains underexplored.

    Envy from above: A social comparison examination of leaders' malicious envy and affective trust in organizations · 2026 · DOI

  • Although emerging research has acknowledged that leaders' envy can foster negative outcomes, the relational mechanisms through which leaders' envy translates into harmful leader behaviours remain unclear.

    Envy from above: A social comparison examination of leaders' malicious envy and affective trust in organizations · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the underlying mechanisms of this association remain unclear, with shame and emotional dysregulation being potential mediators.

    Female genital self-image and psychological distress: the serial mediating effects of existential shame and limited access to emotion regulation strategies · 2026 · DOI

  • Despite longstanding assumptions that embarrassment leads to avoidance, empirical findings remain inconsistent.

    The nonlinear effect of consumer embarrassment on avoidance: A meta‐analysis · 2025 · DOI

  • These findings reconcile inconsistent findings in the embarrassment literature and offer guidance for reducing harmful avoidance by aligning threat and coping appraisals to promote engagement with socially sensitive behaviors.

    The nonlinear effect of consumer embarrassment on avoidance: A meta‐analysis · 2025 · DOI

  • Despite this evident commonality and the recent surge of interest in each phenomenon independently, direct comparisons between ressentiment and hate remain scarce.

    Emotional Motivation and Affective Intentionality in Ressentiment and Hate · 2025 · DOI

  • The process via which such appeals operate remains unknown and guidelines for their effective design are nonexistent.

    The ironic impact of schadenfreude: When the joy of inflicting pain leads to increased prosocial behavior · 2024 · DOI

  • This study addresses the gap in understanding the specific mechanisms of this relationship within the cultural context of Chinese adolescents.

    Understanding Shame-Driven Aggression: The Roles of Externalization of Blame and Hostility in Chinese Adolescents · 2024 · DOI

  • Another limitation of this study is in its operationalization of guilt and other affective moral reactions as measurable constructs.

    Sex differences in moral guilt reactions to justified and unjustified violence: insights from psychology and neuroscience · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research could explore the generalizability of the study's findings to other populations and contexts. Further research could investigate the implications of the study's findings for the development of social media strategies in wartime and crisis contexts.

    Sardonic Vigilance: Emotional Self-Discipline and Politics-Over-Missiles Reactivity in Ukraine's Wartime Online Professional Stratum · 2026 · DOI

  • While the harmful effects of destructive leadership are well-documented, little is known about the threatening nature of DT leaders, triggering fear and defensive responses.

    Between fear and fascination: threat- and fascination-related affective responses to Dark Triad leaders and their motivational consequences · 2026 · DOI

  • While the findings raise the possibility that trained empathic responding may be relatively robust under conditions of reduced self-regulatory capacity, further research is required before drawing conclusions for training or practice.

    Ego depletion and empathy: exploring self-regulatory resource depletion in hostage and crisis negotiators · 2026 · DOI

  • Prior research has focused primarily on the role of CU traits. There is a need to investigate the relationship between each psychopathic trait and facial emotion recognition.

    Emotion Recognition in a Community Sample of Children: Unpacking the Contribution of Psychopathic Traits · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of a multilevel neurosociological framework for understanding emotions.

    The Anatomy of Affect: A Multilevel Neurosociological Framework · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper addresses the need for a diagnostic framework to analyze the relationship between admiration and fascination.

    Admiration and Fascination: How admiration functions as our navigation system, how fascination can obscure it — and what this means for our development and for society · 2026 · DOI

  • The longitudinal mechanisms explaining the sex disparity in adolescent depression remain largely underexplored. There is a lack of understanding of how sex differences in shame, guilt, and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation contribute to the higher prevalence of depressive symptoms in female adolescents.

    Guilt Proneness and Shame Proneness Differentially Relate to Sex Disparity in Depression Among Adolescents in China: A Longitudinal Serial Mediation Analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • Impact StatementAwe, an emotion of increasing interest, has been studied with fMRI and peripheral physiology - but few studies have used electroencephalography (EEG).

    Complexity as a Potential Neurophysiological Correlate of Awe · 2026 · DOI

  • The study's sample was limited to the author's Facebook profile, which may not be generalizable to other populations.

    Sardonic Vigilance: Emotional Self-Discipline and Politics-Over-Missiles Reactivity in Ukraine's Wartime Online Professional Stratum · 2026 · DOI

  • The study investigates the moderating roles of stadium atmosphere and schadenfreude in this association.

    Collective narcissism, stadium atmosphere, and schadenfreude: predictors of dysfunctional fan behavior · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigate the factor structure of the FREE scale in different populations, - Examine the relationship between flexible regulation of emotional expression and mental health outcomes in longitudinal studies, - Develop interventions to enhance flexible regulation of emotional…

    Flexible Regulation of Positive and Negative Emotion Expression: Reexamining the Factor Structure of the Flexible Regulation of Emotional Expression Scale (FREE) Based on Emotion Valence · 2024 · DOI

  • The paradox of fiction – a brief Introduction into recent developments, open questions, and current areas of research, including a Comprehensive bibliography from 1975 to 2018.

    The paradox of fiction as paradox of (theories of) emotions · 2026 · DOI

  • Despite this study’s contribution of investigating effects related to justified and unjustified violence, further research must continue to investigate and break down boundaries…

    Sex differences in moral guilt reactions to justified and unjustified violence: insights from psychology and neuroscience · 2026 · DOI

  • Further analysis of the role of gratitude in international relations. Examination of the impact of social media on the expression and demand for gratitude in political contexts.

    Thankful Enough? Gratitude and Ingratitude in Politics · 2026 · DOI

  • Having a Child During the COVID Pandemic in Iceland, NORA – Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research, 32(4), 363–374.

    “The feeling that’s always there”: Prevalence and correlates of parental guilt in Italy · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Emotions and Moral Behavior

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) Negative emotions can often serve as a proximal driver of toxic dynamics in organizations, yet the role of leaders' malicious envy remains underexplored (“Envy from above: A social comparison examination of leaders' malicious envy and…”, 2026); (2) The underlying mechanisms of this association remain unclear, with shame and emotional dysregulation being potential mediators (“Female genital self-image and psychological distress: the serial mediating…”, 2026); (3) Future research could explore the generalizability of the study's findings to other populations and contexts (“Sardonic Vigilance: Emotional Self-Discipline and Politics-Over-Missiles…”, 2026); (4) While the harmful effects of destructive leadership are well-documented, little is known about the threatening nature of DT leaders, triggering fear and defensive responses (“Between fear and fascination: threat- and fascination-related affective…”, 2026); (5) While the findings raise the possibility that trained empathic responding may be relatively robust under conditions of reduced self-regulatory capacity, further research is required before drawing conclusions for training or practice (“Ego depletion and empathy: exploring self-regulatory resource depletion in…”, 2026). 354 gap statements have been mined from Emotions and Moral Behavior papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 4,185 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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