Trigger warnings as an interpersonal emotion-regulation tool: Avoidance, attention, and affect depend on beliefs

Abstract

Trigger warnings-warnings of anticipated negative affect in response to distressing content-are increasingly common and debated, but no empirical research has tested their effects on anticipated affect, emotion-regulation behavior, or experienced affect. The present research explores trigger warnings as an interpersonal emotion-regulation strategy, introducing a temporal dimension to interpersonal emotion-regulation by regulating others' future, anticipated emotions. In a descriptive survey, Study 1 demonstrated that anticipated anxiety for warned-of content predicts intentions to avoid information. Furthermore, beliefs about trigger warnings as protective (versus coddling) best predicted anticipated anxiety for warned-of content and subsequent intentions to avoid. In Study 2, participants had higher anticipated negative affect for videos with trigger warnings, compared to those without, and this mediated increased avoidance for warned-of videos. In Study 3, trigger warnings preceding essays increased anticipated negative affect and attentional-regulation strategies, but reduced experiences of negative affect. Across studies, believing that trigger warnings are protective (versus coddling) increased their effect on anticipated negative affect, but weakened their effect on experienced negative affect. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.