Effects Of Emotion Regulation Strategies Research Articles

Explicit emotion regulation: Comparing emotion inducing stimuli

Emotions are a major part of our subjective experiences of the world. At times, our emotions are not appropriate and require active management. Emotion regulation refers to the various ways of managing or controlling emotional responses. External stimuli play specific role in electing emotions. Pictures and movies elicit emotions and emotional effects of films are believed to exceed that of pictures. The aim of the present study is to compare the effectiveness of emotion regulation strategies across emotion induction method (picture and films). Forty participants rated their emotion on Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) ratings for each pictorial and video stimuli while following the emotion regulation instructions. Repeated-measures ANOVAs revealed that the pictures were more effective in modulating emotions. Cognitive reappraisal and distraction strategies downregulated emotions.

The effects of emotion regulation strategies on positive and negative affect in early adolescents

ABSTRACTRecent research suggests that impaired emotion regulation (ER) may play an important role in the development of youth psychopathology. However, little research has explored the effects of ER strategies on affect in early adolescents. In Study 1 (n = 76), we examined if early adolescents are able to use distraction and whether the effects of this strategy are similar to talking to one’s mother. In Study 2 (n = 184), we compared the effects of distraction, cognitive reappraisal, acceptance, and rumination. In both studies, participants received instructions on how to regulate their emotions after a standardised negative mood induction. In general, the results indicated that distraction, but also cognitive reappraisal and acceptance, had promising short-term effects on positive and negative affect in early adolescents. These findings suggest that targeting adaptive ER skills, such as distraction, acceptance, and cognitive reappraisal, may be an important strategy to prevent or treat psychological problems in early adolescents.

The relationship between emotion regulation strategies and job search behavior among fourth-year university students

The job search process is a stressful experience. This study investigated the effect of emotion regulation strategies on job search behavior in combination with anxiety and job search self-efficacy among Chinese university fourth-year students (N = 816, mean age = 21.98, 31.5% male, 34.9% majored in science, 18.0% from “211 Project” universities). Results showed that cognitive reappraisal was positively related to job search behavior, while expressive suppression was negatively related to job search behavior. Additionally, anxiety was negatively related to job search behavior, while job search self-efficacy was positively associated with job search behavior. Moreover, both anxiety and job search self-efficacy mediated the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and job search behavior. In general, emotion regulation strategies played an important role in job search behavior. Implications include the notion that emotion regulation interventions may be helpful to increase job search behavior among university students.

Emotion regulation and prejudice reduction following acute terrorist events: The impact of reflection before and after the Boston Marathon bombings

Research suggests that regulating negative emotional responses to threatening events can help reduce outgroup bias. The present research examined the effect of emotion regulation strategies on outgroup bias during relatively benign versus threatening time periods. Participants were assigned to regulate their emotions (reflection, rumination, or control) while reading a reminder of a past terrorist event and then reported their anger and bias toward Muslims. The bombings at the 2013 Boston Marathon occurred during data collection, which allowed us to examine the effect of emotion regulation on bias before versus after these events via a 3 (emotion regulation) x 2 (timing of bombings) between-subjects design. A two-way interaction between emotion regulation condition and timing emerged on bias and anger. Reflection (compared to rumination or control) reduced bias and anger toward Muslims but only after the bombings. The reduction in anger mediated the effect of reflection on bias only after the bombings. The results provide evidence that reflection is effective at reducing bias when people are experiencing an intense outgroup threat.

Effects of emotion regulation strategies on music-elicited emotions: An experimental study explaining individual differences

This experimental study examined if emotional experience can be manipulated by applying an emotion regulation strategy during music listening and if individual differences in effects of strategies can be explained by person characteristics. Adults (N=466) completed questionnaires and rated emotions. They were randomly assigned to a condition, in which they applied an emotion regulation strategy (suppression, enhancement, neutral) when listening to a music fragment. Next, participants rated emotions again. MANCOVA showed that individuals who applied enhancement experienced the strongest increase in emotion intensity. Age, neuroticism, extraversion, and positive trait affect predicted individual differences in effects of enhancement and suppression, e.g., especially more neurotic and introverted individuals experienced increased emotion intensity when applying enhancement. This study shows that emotional experience can be intensified by music listening, which can be facilitated by applying enhancement. Applying an emotion regulation strategy during music listening seems especially effective when it matches person characteristics.

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood.

Effective regulation of emotion is one of the most important skills that develops in childhood. Research interest in this area is expanding, but empirical work has been limited by predominantly correlational investigations of children's skills. Relatedly, a key conceptual challenge for emotion scientists is to distinguish between emotion responding and emotion regulatory processes. This paper presents a novel method to address these conceptual and methodological issues in child samples. An experimental paradigm that assesses the effectiveness with which children regulate emotion is described. Children are randomly assigned to use specific emotion regulation strategies, negative emotions are elicited with film clips, and changes in subsequent psychophysiology index the extent to which emotion regulation is effective. Children are instructed to simply watch the emotion-eliciting film (control), distract themselves from negative emotions (cognitive distraction), or reframe the situation in a way that downplays the importance of the emotional event (cognitive reappraisal). Cardiac physiology, continuously acquired before and during the emotional task, serves as an objective measure of children's unfolding emotional responding while viewing evocative films. Key comparisons in patterns of obtained physiological reactivity are between the control and emotion regulation strategy conditions. Representative results from this approach are described, and discussion focuses on the contribution of this methodological approach to developmental science.

How does social anger expression predict later depression symptoms? It depends on how often one is angry.

Research has suggested that there are benefits to socially sharing anger as an emotion regulation strategy. We hypothesized that these benefits may depend on the frequency with which one is experiencing anger. We used an experience sampling methodology to explore the interaction between frequency of anger and reliance on social expression of anger as a predictor of changes in depression symptoms 4 months later. We found that a strong reliance on social expression prospectively predicted lower depression symptoms when participants endorsed anger infrequently but predicted an increase in subsequent depression symptoms when anger was endorsed frequently. This interaction was specific to anger and did not extend to sadness or anxiety. These results highlight the importance of considering the effectiveness of emotion regulation strategies in the context of specific emotions and the frequency of the experienced emotion in everyday life. (PsycINFO Database Record

Examining the relationship between emotion regulation deficits and borderline personality disorder features: A daily diary study

This study used a six-day daily diary methodology to precisely specify the nature of emotion regulation deficits associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD) features. Three possibilities were explored: that BPD features are associated with (1) the overall underuse of emotion regulation strategies; (2) the overuse of dysfunctional and the underuse of functional strategies; and (3) the lower perceived effectiveness of emotion regulation strategies. One hundred and fifty-four undergraduate participants completed self-report measures of BPD feature severity, and then reported their daily negative emotional intensity, whether or not they used various emotion regulation strategies, and whether or not the strategies that they used were effective across a six-day period. Higher BPD features were associated with (a) higher total frequency use of emotion regulation strategies; (b) higher frequency use of dysfunctional and functional emotion regulation strategies; and (c) less self-reported effectiveness of functional strategies. BPD features may be characterized by increased attempts to regulate emotions, without corresponding increases in perceived effectiveness.

The Longitudinal Effect of Emotion Regulation Strategies on Anxiety Levels in Children and Adolescents

There is growing evidence linking emotion dysregulation to anxiety. However, few studies have examined this relationship longitudinally or developmentally. Additionally, no studies have specifically examined the predictive relevance of the emotion regulation skills taught in mindfulness- and acceptance-based therapies. We explore whether specific emotion regulation processes differentially predict specific anxiety symptoms over time among children and adolescents. Methods: Initial emotion non-awareness, nonacceptance, and difficulties with goal-directed behavior were assessed in a community sample (n = 312, age range = 8–16, mean age = 11.68, 59% female, 69% Caucasian). Social anxiety, separation anxiety, and physical anxiety symptoms were assessed every 3 months for 3 years. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine the concurrent and longitudinal effects of emotion dysregulation assessed at baseline or 18 months on anxiety. Results: After controlling for depression, age, and gender, all three processes concurrently predicted physical and social anxiety, and all but nonacceptance predicted separation anxiety. Only difficulties with goal-directed behavior, however, predicted longitudinal change in separation anxiety over time with covariates. Additionally, emotion non-awareness and difficulties with goal-directed behavior predicted subsequent changes in social anxiety. Conclusions: Emotion dysregulation may serve as a potential risk factor for the development of anxiety symptoms among youth. It may be beneficial to target reductions in maladaptive strategies in prevention or intervention work.

Emotion regulation can be costly. A study on the effects of emotion regulation strategies on impulsive purchases in consumers

In retail, emotion-fueled impulse purchases constitute a large part of everyday consumer purchases. Thus, emotion regulation training could benefit consumers to help to control their impulsive buying. Yet, emotion regulation strategies are not unequivocally associated with positive effects. Since research investigating emotion regulation in consumer contexts is scarce, the goal of this study is to examine whether emotion regulation training could be a valuable tool for consumers to help to limit impulse spending. Customers at a local supermarket were recruited and randomly assigned to three groups: re-appraisal (n = 50), suppression (n = 50) and neutral (n = 50). The results show that re-appraisal does not differ affect impulse purchasing whilst the suppression group made significantly more impulse purchases and spent more compared to the neutral group. Yet, trait re-appraisal was associated with reduced impulsive purchasing in consumers with higher levels of negative emotions. The findings confirm that suppression appears a maladaptive form of emotion regulation and suggest that re-appraisal training could be a valuable tool for consumers, particularly for consumers with high levels of negative affect

Mediating Effect of Emotion Regulation Strategies on the Relationship Between Perceived Parenting Style and Emotion Dysregulation

본 연구는 성인을 대상으로 지각된 부모의 양육방식, 정서조절곤란, 정서조절방략 세 변인의 관계를 살펴보고자 하였다. 이를 위해 943명의 성인을 대상으로 지각된 양육방식 척도(EMBU-short), 정서조절곤란 척도(DERS)와 정서조절방략 질문지(ERSQ)를 실시하여, 성별과 연령을 통제한 상태에서 지각된 부모의 양육방식과 정서조절곤란의 관계에서 정서조절방략의 매개효과를 검증하였다. 부분상관분석 결과, 부모의 거부와 과보호 방식은 정서조절곤란 및 부적응적 방략과 정적 상관을, 부모의 애정 방식은 정서조절곤란과 부적 상관, 적응적 방략과는 정적 상관을 나타냈다. 위계적 중다회귀분석 결과, 성별과 연령을 통제한 상태에서 지각된 부모의 양육방식은 정서조절곤란의 전체 변량 중 11%를 설명하였고, 부의 애정과 모의 거부방식이 정서조절곤란을 통계적으로 유의미하게 예언하였다. 성별과 연령을 통제하였을 때, 지각된 부모의 양육방식은 적응적 방략의 13%를, 부적응적 방략의 10%를 설명하였다. 부모의 애정 방식은 적응적 방략을, 부모의 거부 방식은 부적응적 방략을 유의미하게 예언하였다. 지각된 부모의 양육방식과 정서조절곤란의 관계에서 정서조절방략의 매개효과를 검증한 결과, 적응적 방략은 부의 애정 방식이 정서조절곤란에 미치는 영향을 완전매개하고, 부적응적 방략은 모의 거부 방식이 정서조절곤란에 미치는 영향을 부분매개하는 것으로 확인되었다. 본 연구의 시사점과 앞으로의 연구 방향에 대해 논의하였다.

Maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and stress sensitivity mediate the relation between adverse life events and attenuated positive psychotic symptoms

ABSTRACTIntroduction. There is now solid evidence for a relation between adverse life events (ALE) and psychotic symptoms in patients with psychosis and in the general population. A recent study has shown that this relation may be partially mediated by stress sensitivity, suggesting the influence of other factors. The aim of this study was to assess the mediation effect of emotion regulation strategies and stress sensitivity in the relation between ALE and attenuated positive psychotic symptoms (APPS) in the general population.Methods. Hundred and twelve healthy volunteers were evaluated with measures of APPS, emotion regulation strategies, ALE and stress sensitivity.Results. Results demonstrated that the relation between ALE, hallucination and delusion proneness was completely mediated by maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, but not by stress sensitivity. However, in addition to maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, stress sensitivity demonstrated a mediation effect between ALE and attenuated positive psychotic positive symptoms when positive psychotic symptoms were grouped together.Conclusions. There are probably several possible trajectories leading to the formation of positive psychotic symptoms and the results of the present study reveal that one such trajectory may involve the maladaptive regulation of negative emotions alongside a certain general vulnerability after experiencing ALE.

The Relation between Perfectionism and Psychological Well-Being among College Students: Mediation Effects of Emotion Regulation Strategies

본 연구는 대학생의 완벽주의와 심리적 안녕감의 관계에서 정서조절양식의 매개효과를 검증하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 수도권 대학생 249명을 대상으로 다차원적 완벽주의 척도(H-MPS), 정서조절양식 체크리스트, 심리적 안녕감 척도(PWBS)를 사용하여 설문을 실시하였다. 분석은 PASW Statistics 18프로그램을 사용하여 기술통계, 상관분석, 중다회귀분석 및 위계적 회귀분석을 실시하였고, 매개효과 검증을 위해 Sobel Test를 실시하였다. 본 연구의 주요 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 자기지향적 완벽주의와 심리적 안녕감의 관계에서 능동적 양식이 완전매개 역할을 하였다. 둘째, 자기지향적 완벽주의와 심리적 안녕감의 관계에서 회피/분산적 양식이 부분매개 역할을 하였다. 셋째, 사회적으로 부과된 완벽주의와 심리적 안녕감 간의 관계에서 정서조절양식의 매개효과는 나타나지 않았다. 마지막으로 본 연구의 시사점과 제한점 및 후속연구에 대해 논의하였다.

How should I regulate my emotions if I want to run faster?

The present study investigated the effects of emotion regulation strategies on self-reported emotions and 1600 m track running performance. In stage 1 of a three-stage study, participants (N = 15) reported emotional states associated with best, worst and ideal performance. Results indicated that a best and ideal emotional state for performance composed of feeling happy, calm, energetic and moderately anxious whereas the worst emotional state for performance composed of feeling downhearted, sluggish and highly anxious. In stage 2, emotion regulation interventions were developed using online material and supported by electronic feedback. One intervention motivated participants to increase the intensity of unpleasant emotions (e.g. feel more angry and anxious). A second intervention motivated participants to reduce the intensity of unpleasant emotions (e.g. feel less angry and anxious). In stage 3, using a repeated measures design, participants used each intervention before running a 1600 m time trial. Data were compared with a no treatment control condition. The intervention designed to increase the intensity of unpleasant emotions resulted in higher anxiety and lower calmness scores but no significant effects on 1600 m running time. The intervention designed to reduce the intensity of unpleasant emotions was associated with significantly slower times for the first 400 m. We suggest future research should investigate emotion regulation, emotion and performance using quasi-experimental methods with performance measures that are meaningful to participants.

Emotion Regulation Strategies in European American and Hong Kong Chinese Middle School Children

This study explored emotion regulation strategies in middle school European American (N = 54) and Hong Kong Chinese (N = 89) children. Children were presented with scenarios describing a fictitious girl/boy who encountered situations eliciting sadness, anger, and fear. Based on Gross’ theory (1998), the survey of emotion regulation strategies was designed to study children’s perceived effectiveness of emotion regulation strategies including deep breathing, positive distraction, situation avoidance, talking to someone, and experiential suppression. The results revealed that some strategies were universal across the two cultures and some were culture-specific. Both American and Chinese children considered situation avoidance the most effective in dealing with anger. They preferred to talk to somebody more when dealing with anger and sadness than with fear. American children considered deep breathing the most effective for anger; for Chinese children, it was the most effective for dealing with anger and fear. Regardless of emotion-eliciting situations, American children scored higher on positive distraction and talking to someone strategies. This study also investigated children’s explanations of the effectiveness of emotion regulation strategies.

Effects of emotion regulation strategies on anxiety during job interviews in Chinese college students

Background and objectives: Few studies related to the impact of different emotion regulation strategies on anxiety have used externally and ecologically valid emotion-eliciting stimuli or Eastern populations. The present study compares the effects of reappraisal, suppression, and acceptance on anxiety induced by a simulated job interview in a Chinese sample. Methods: Eighty-two subjects were randomly assigned to one of four instructions: reappraisal, suppression, acceptance, or no-regulation strategies during a simulated job interview. Anxiety was assessed with an observer-based behavior rating scale during the interview and the State Anxiety Inventory before, during, and after the interview. Results: A repeated-measures MANOVA indicated a significantly greater reduction in anxiety in the reappraisal and acceptance groups compared to the control group during the interview (reappraisal: d = 1.42; acceptance: d = 1.30; each p < .001), but not during the recovery stage. The suppression and control group did not differ in any stage. Suppression led to a higher (pmax < .04) anxiety than reappraisal/acceptance in the anticipation (d = 0.65/0.68), interview (d = 0.87/0.79), and recovery stages (d = 0.94/1.03). No significant differences were found between reappraisal and acceptance. Conclusions: In Chinese students reappraisal and acceptance seem to be more effective anxiety regulation strategies than suppression.

The effects of emotion regulation strategies on the pain experience: a structured laboratory investigation.

Although emotion regulation modulates the pain experience, inconsistencies have been identified regarding the impact of specific regulation strategies on pain. Our goal was to examine the effects of emotion suppression and cognitive reappraisal on automatic (ie, nonverbal) and cognitively mediated (ie, verbal) pain expressions. Nonclinical participants were randomized into either a suppression (n = 58), reappraisal (n = 51), or monitoring control (n = 42) condition. Upon arrival to the laboratory, participants completed the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, to quantify self-reported suppression and reappraisal tendencies. Subsequently, they completed a thermal pain threshold and tolerance task. They were then provided with instructions to use, depending on their experimental condition, suppression, reappraisal, or monitoring strategies. Afterward, they were exposed to experimentally induced pain. Self-report measures of pain, anxiety, and tension were administered, and facial expressions, heart rate, and galvanic skin response were recorded. The Facial Action Coding System was used to quantify general and pain-related facial activity (ie, we defined facial actions that occurred during at least 5% of pain stimulation periods as "pain-related actions"). Reappraisal and suppression induction led to reductions in nonverbal and verbal indices of pain. Moreover, self-reported tendencies to use suppression and reappraisal (as measured by the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire) did not interact with experimental condition in the determination of participants' responses. Results suggest that consciously applying emotion regulation strategies during a painful task can moderate both cognitively mediated (e.g., verbal) and automatic (e.g., facial activity) expressions of pain.

Healing Words: Using Affect Labeling to Reduce the Effects of Unpleasant Cues on Symptom Reporting in IBS Patients.

The present study aimed to induce elevated symptom reports through the presentation of unpleasant cues in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and examine whether applying an emotion regulation technique (affect labeling) can reduce symptom reporting in patients. Patients diagnosed with IBS (N = 29) and healthy controls (N = 26) were presented with six picture series (three pleasant, three unpleasant) under three within-subject conditions: merely viewing, emotional labeling, or content (non-emotional) labeling. Each picture viewing trial was followed by affect ratings and a symptom checklist, consisting of general arousal and IBS-specific symptoms. Viewing unpleasant pictures led to overall increased symptom reports, both for arousal and gastrointestinal symptoms, in both groups. Labeling the pictures did not reduce these effects significantly, although a trend toward less arousal symptoms after unpleasant cues emerged in the patient group only, especially during emotional labeling. Current findings indicate that the mere presentation of unpleasant cues can induce elevated symptom reports in IBS patients. The results of the labeling manipulation provide modest support for the effectiveness of emotion regulation strategies in reversing these effects of unpleasant cues in patients suffering from functional syndromes. Methodological issues that may have confounded present results are discussed.

Autonomic effects of cognitive reappraisal and acceptance in social anxiety: Evidence for common and distinct pathways for parasympathetic reactivity

Few studies investigated the effects of emotion regulation strategies on autonomic parameters in socially anxious individuals. We asked 99 socially anxious participants to give an impromptu speech in front of an audience in a virtual reality environment. In the anticipation phase, they practiced an emotion regulation strategy: negative functional reappraisal, acceptance, negative dysfunctional reappraisal. All strategies led to decreases in parasympathetic activity and increases in heart rate during anticipation. Parasympathetic activity remained low in the recovery phase, while heart rate increased, indicating a possible rebound effect of social performance. Exploratory moderation analysis revealed that for subjects with higher social anxiety, acceptance led to increased parasympathetic activity in the anticipation and recovery phases than negative functional reappraisal. Our results indicate that although globally parasympathetic reactivity seems to be a more general marker of simply attempting to regulate emotions, it could help distinguish between emotion regulation strategies for some participant subgroups.