The effect of childhood memories of happiness and peace on distress tolerance: the mediating role of emotional intelligence

Abstract

BackgroundThe main objectives of this study were to examine whether childhood memories of happiness and peace are associated with distress tolerance and to determine whether distress tolerance mediates the relationship between childhood memories of happiness and peace. We hypothesized that childhood memories of happiness and peace are directly and indirectly associ-ated with distress tolerance through emotional intelligence.Participants and procedureParticipants consisted of 538 individuals aged between 19 and 27 years and in emerging adulthood. Among these partici-pants, 426 were female and 112 were male. The data collection tools used in this study included the Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale, the Distress Tolerance Scale, and the Rotterdam Emotional Intelligence Scale. A multiple medi-ation model was analysed using the bootstrapping technique.ResultsEarly memories of warmth and safety, other-focused emotion evaluation, self-focused emotion control, and distress toler-ance were positively correlated. Early warm and safe memories were positively correlated with self-focused, other-focused, and self-regulated emotions. However, self-focused emotion appraisal did not substantially affect distress tolerance. Boot-strapping technique indicated that early memories of warmth and safeness increased other-focused emotion appraisal and self-focused emotion regulation and increased distress tolerance. Early memories of warmth and safeness did not indirectly affect distress tolerance through self-focused emotion appraisal and other-focused emotion regulation.ConclusionsWe found positive associations between distress tolerance, early warmth and safety memories, and other- and self-focused emotion regulation. Early memories of warmth and safeness directly raised distress tolerance, without mediation by self-focused emotion evaluation or other-focused emotion control.