Identifying the determinants of emotion regulation choice: a systematic review with meta-analysis

Meghann Matthews,Thomas L Webb,Roni Shafir,Miranda Snow,Gal Sheppes

doi:10.1080/02699931.2021.1945538

Meghann Matthews, Thomas L Webb + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2021.1945538

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Abstract

ABSTRACT Day-to-day life is inundated with attempts to control emotions and a wealth of research has examined what strategies people use and how effective these strategies are. However, until more recently, research has often neglected more basic questions such as whether and how people choose to regulate their emotions (i.e. emotion regulation choice). In an effort to identify what we know and what we need to know, we systematically reviewed studies that examined potential determinants of whether and how people choose to regulate their emotions. Eighteen determinants were identified across 219 studies and were categorised as being affective, cognitive, motivational, individual or social-cultural in nature. Where there were sufficient primary studies, meta-analysis was used to quantify the size of the associations between potential determinants and measures of whether and how people choose to regulate their emotions. Based on the findings, we propose that people’s decisions about whether and how to regulate their emotions are determined by factors relating to the individual doing the regulating, the emotion that is being regulated, and both the immediate situation and the broader social context in which the regulation is taking place.

Highlights

MethodThree methods were used to identify studies that could help to understand emotion regulation choice
Eighteen potential determinants of intentions to regulate and/or emotion regulation choice were identified across the 219 studies
The findings suggested that older people are more likely to choose to regulate their emotions in a more pro-hedonic manner (e.g. Cohrdes et al, 2017); and that gender is associated with emotion regulation choice, but that the findings to date with respect to how gender is associated with emotion regulation choice are mixed (e.g. Erber et al, 1996; Tamir et al, 2015)

Summary

Method

Three methods were used to identify studies that could help to understand emotion regulation choice. Studies which measured the frequency with which people use – rather than choose – a regulatory strategy, what strategies they typically use, or what strategies they have used to regulate their emotions in a particular situation, were excluded as it cannot be determined whether the use of a strategy reflected a conscious, active choice, rather than a more automatic response (Sheppes, 2020).. Taylor & Friedman, 2015) or their current mood being made salient (e.g. Bolt, 2016) These studies did not explicitly make participants aware that the choices that they were being asked to make were intended to regulate their emotions we could be confident that the participant’s choices likely reflected efforts to regulate those emotions, as the choice immediately followed a procedure that rendered their emotions salient..

Motivation to experience happiness

Extraversion

Results

Limitations and future directions

Conclusion