Social Support Versus Emotion Regulation: Mediators of Attachment and Psychological Problems After Social Exclusion

Abstract

Introduction: Secure parental attachment improves the perception of available social support and the socialization of emotion regulation strategies. Research has suggested that both perceived social support and emotion regulation help individuals reappraise stressful situations as less stressful. Individuals under stress are at an increased risk for psychological problems. Method: The current study examined whether social support, emotion regulation, and psychological inflexibility mediated the relation between parental attachment and psychological problems after a social exclusion task. Results: Results indicated that secure parental attachment was associated with an increased ability to up-regulate emotions and with an increase in the perception of available social support. Secure attachment to either parent was indirectly associated with psychological problems reported after social exclusion. Discussion: Indirect effects were found only for pathways from attachment through emotion regulation strategies, which suggests that emotion regulation may be a driving factor between attachment to parental figures and stress induced psychological problems. Further results, limitations, and implications were discussed.