Emotion Regulation Behavior Research Articles

Social Media Use in Adolescents: Bans, Benefits, and Emotion Regulation Behaviors.

Social media is an integral part of adolescents' daily lives, but the significant time they invest in social media has raised concerns about the effect on their mental health. Bans and severe restrictions on social media use are quickly emerging as an attempt to regulate social media use; however, evidence supporting their effectiveness is limited. Adolescents experience several benefits from social media, including increased social connection, reduced loneliness, and a safe space for marginalized groups (eg, LGBTQ+) to interact. Rather than enforcing bans and severe restrictions, emotion regulation should be leveraged to help adolescents navigate the digital social environment. This viewpoint paper proposes a nuanced approach toward regulating adolescent social media use by (1) discontinuing the use of ineffective bans, (2) recognizing the benefits social media use can have, and (3) fostering emotion regulation skills in adolescents to encourage the development of self-regulation.

Romanian Adaptation and Psychometric Validation of the Behavioral Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (BERQ-RO)

AbstractThe aim of the present study was to adapt the Behavioral Emotion Regulation Questionnaire to the Romanian population and assess its psychometric proprieties. Participants included 399 adults, aged between 18 and 67 years old (M = 25.30, SD = 9.20; 83% females). Related to reliability and construct validity, results showed good indices. Additionally, results replicated the original five-factor structure, including seeking distraction, withdrawal, actively approaching, seeking social support and ignoring. These subscales showed good criterion validity, having significant associations with cognitive emotion regulation strategies, stress, anxiety and depression, and positive and negative affectivity. Furthermore, in terms of predictive validity, seeking distraction and actively approaching negatively predicted six months later symptoms of depression, withdrawal positively predicted six months later symptoms of depression and anxiety, while actively approaching negatively predicted six months later stress. These findings highlight that the Romanian version of the BERQ could be a helpful tool to assess emotion regulation strategies among adults.

Motivational Intensity in Emotion Regulation.

Changing how we feel can be adaptive, but it is also difficult and may require effort. There is research on what people want to achieve in emotion regulation (motivational content), but there is little research on how intensely people pursue what they want to achieve (motivational intensity). We tested the role of motivational intensity in emotion regulation, by assessing (Studies 1-2, Ns = 160 and 157) and manipulating (Study 3, N = 250) it in daily life. As predicted, when people were more motivated to make themselves feel better, they engaged more intensely in emotion-regulatory behaviors, experienced more desirable emotional experiences, and reported better psychological health. Furthermore, motivating people to make themselves feel better, increased their emotion-regulatory behaviors and led to better psychological health during COVID-19. Motivational intensity, therefore, may be an understudied factor facilitating emotional well-being.

Musicians' pursuit of expertise-related goals is characterised by strategic regulation of functional and counterproductive affect.

Emotion regulation is an important part of effective goal pursuit. Functional accounts of emotion regulation suggest that the attainment of challenging goals may be supported by regulating emotions which promote utilitarian over hedonic outcomes. When pursuing the challenging, long-term goal of acquiring expert musical skills and knowledge, musicians may wish to prioritise whichever emotions are most conducive to attaining this goal, even if those emotions are not necessarily positive. Via an online questionnaire, musicians (N = 421) answered questions concerning their musical experience and their expertise-related practice goals. They also reported how strongly they experienced different emotions during practice, and how strongly they desired to either increase or decrease the intensity of those same emotions. Data were analysed using inferential frequentist statistics and Bayesian mixed effects models. Evidence ratios (ER) > 19 were considered strong evidence in favour of an effect. Our analysis showed that musicians experienced and desired strong levels of positive emotions in their practice. In addition, they reported greater desire to intensify positive compared to negative emotions [paired t (420) = 58.13, p < 0.001]. Our Bayesian mixed effects model provided strong evidence that greater desire to intensify anger increased the probability that an observation derived from a musician with stronger expertise-related goals [Est = 0.70; Odds (Est > 0) > 9,999]. In addition to anger, higher levels of expertise-related goals were increasingly predicted by less strong desire to intensify guilt and gloom and greater desire to reduce downheartedness (all ER > 19). Overall, musicians had a strong, general desire to intensify positive emotions during their musical practice. However, musicians with higher levels of expertise-related goals increasingly indicated a nuanced approach regarding how they desired to regulate certain negative emotions. Findings suggest that musicians engage in selective and sophisticated emotion regulation behaviour that aligns with their long-term commitment to develop musical expertise. They may prioritise emotions which may be functionally beneficial, whilst avoiding emotions which may be counterproductive or undermine efforts. Findings from this study contribute to our understanding of expertise-related, domain-specific emotion regulation behaviour and may inform the design of prioritised musical practice strategies.

A data-driven typology of emotion regulation profiles.

Typologies serve to organize knowledge and advance theory for many scientific disciplines, including more recently in the social and behavioral sciences. To date, however, no typology exists to categorize an individual's use of emotion regulation strategies. This is surprising given that emotion regulation skills are used daily and that deficits in this area are robustly linked with mental health symptoms. Here, we attempted to identify and validate a working typology of emotion regulation across six samples (collectively comprised of 1,492 participants from multiple populations) by using a combination of computational techniques, psychometric models, and growth curve modeling. We uncovered evidence for three types of regulators: a type that infrequently uses emotion regulation strategies (Lo), a type that uses them frequently but indiscriminately (Hi), and a third type that selectively uses some (cognitive reappraisal and situation selection), but not other (expressive suppression), emotion regulation strategies frequently (Mix). Results showed that membership in the Hi and Mix types is associated with better mental health, with the Mix type being the most adaptive of the three. These differences were stable over time and across different samples. These results carry important implications for both our basic understanding of emotion regulation behavior and for informing future interventions aimed at improving mental health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The role of emotional regulation on early child school adjustment outcomes

Emotional regulation involves managing attention, affect, and behavior, and is essential for long-term health and well-being, including positive school adjustment. The purpose of this secondary data analysis from the Durham Child Health and Development Study was to explore how parent and teacher reported emotional regulation behaviors related to school adjustment outcomes (social skills, academic performance, and academic achievement) during early childhood. Parent and teacher reports on emotional regulation behaviors showed mixed concordance, however they correlated with critical aspects of school adjustment. Clinical and practical implications are discussed, including the role of psychiatric nurses in promoting positive emotional regulation and school adjustment outcomes across settings.

Estradiol modulates changes in effective connectivity in emotion regulation networks

Hormonal changes in ovarian hormones like estradiol (E2) during the menstrual cycle affect emotional processes, including emotion recognition, memory, and regulation. So far, the neural underpinnings of the effect of E2 on emotional experience have been investigated using task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and functional connectivity. In the present study, we examined whether the intrinsic network dynamics at rest (i.e., directed effective connectivity) related to emotion regulation are (1) modulated by E2 levels and (2) linked to behavioral emotion regulation ability. Hence, 29 naturally cycling women participated in two resting-state fMRI scans in their early follicular phase after being administered a placebo or an E2 valerate, respectively. Emotion regulation ability was assessed using a standard emotion regulation task in which participants were asked to down-regulate their emotions in response to negative images. The regions of two functionally predefined neural networks related to emotional down-regulation and reactivity were used to investigate effective connectivity at rest using spectral dynamic causal modelling. We found that E2, compared to placebo, resulted in changes in effective connectivity in both networks. In the regulation network, prefrontal regions showed distinct connectivity in the E2 compared to the placebo condition, while mixed results evolved in the emotional reactivity network. Stepwise regressions revealed that in the E2 condition a connection from the parietal to the prefrontal cortex predicted regulation ability. Our results demonstrate that E2 levels influence effective connectivity in networks underlying emotion regulation and emotional reactivity. Thus, E2 and its potential modification via hormonal administration may play a supporting role in the treatment of mental disorders that show a dysregulation of emotions.

Emotion Regulation Tactics: A Key to Understanding Age (and Other Between- and Within-Person) Differences in Emotion Regulation Preference and Effectiveness.

Older adults report high emotional well-being, but age-comparative studies of emotion regulation strategies have not identified systematic age differences. We propose that emotion regulation tactics may be more promising. Emotion regulation tactics involve strategy implementation in a specific situation, and have features shared across strategies involving positive or negative elements (objects/thoughts) in the environment that may be approached or receded from in the regulation attempt (i.e., a valence dimension about the environmental element, and a direction dimension indicating movement toward or away from it). Across several studies, older adults used more positive-approaching than negative-receding tactics. Positive-approaching tactics may also be more effective at regulating mood. We consider implications for aging, as well as group differences in emotion regulation behavior generally.

How Do Primary and Early Secondary School Students Report Dealing with Positive and Negative Achievement Emotions in Class? A Mixed-Methods Approach

Students experience both positive and negative emotions during lessons. However, little research has been conducted into students’ perspectives on how they deal with these emotions. For this reason, the current study aimed to investigate how students perceive, deal with, and interact in emotional classroom situations, using a mixed-methods approach. In Study 1, 28 primary school children in the fourth grade drew pictures of achievement-emotion situations and were subsequently interviewed. In a three-step analysis process, students’ drawings and interviews were analysed using open coding and content analysis. In Study 2, 635 students from 38 primary and secondary schools in northern Germany reported (via the DECCS questionnaire) their appraisals, achievement emotions, emotion regulation behaviour, and desired teacher support regarding two case vignettes: one involving a learning situation and the other a performance situation. The results of Study 1 reveal that peers play a crucial role in how students deal with positive emotions in class. The structural equation model of Study 2 shows that almost all pathways between emotion regulation behaviour (maladaptive as well as adaptive) and students’ desired teacher behaviour in the form of praise and support are significant. The results of both studies indicate that social support (i.e., peer interactions and teacher support) is crucial in how students deal with both positive and negative achievement emotions in class.

Modeling the associations between emotion regulation, suicide crisis syndrome and suicidal behavior: Results in community and clinical samples.

Emotion Regulation (ER) and Suicide Crisis Syndrome (SCS) are psychological processes involved in suicide. Within ER, both the use of rumination and dysfunctional emotion beliefs are associated with suicide. SCS, a pre-suicidal mental state involving cognitive and affective dysregulation, is related to short-term suicide risk. Here, we first examined associations between ER (beliefs about the uncontrollability of emotions and rumination), SCS and suicide behavior, and second, we test a multistep model in which ER factors are linked to suicide behavior through SCS. We conducted two cross-sectional studies to address this issue by self-reports. Study 1 used a community sample (N = 421). Study 2 used a clinical sample (N = 70). Results from both studies showed that beliefs about the uncontrollability of emotions and rumination were associated with higher levels of SCS symptoms and suicide behavior, and that SCS was associated with suicide behavior. In addition, path analyses showed that uncontrollability beliefs were linked to rumination, which in turn was associated with SCS, and this variable mediated the association between ER factors and suicide ideation (in both community and clinical samples) and suicide attempts (in the community sample). As we expected, in both samples, uncontrollability of emotions and rumination were positively related with SCS and suicide behavior. We emphasize the importance of addressing uncontrollability beliefs and rumination in suicide prevention.

Does interpersonal emotion regulation effort pay off?

Interpersonal emotion regulation shapes people's emotional and relational experiences. Yet, researchers know little about the regulation processes that influence these outcomes. Recent works in the intrapersonal emotion regulation space suggest that motivational strength, or effort, people invest in regulation might be the answer. We applied this motivated approach for the first time in the interpersonal space-looking at both intrinsic and extrinsic forms of interpersonal emotion regulation-in order to identify the potential emotional and relational outcomes of putting effort into regulating one's own emotions through others, and regulating others' emotions. In daily diary (N = 171) and experience sampling (N = 239) studies, we examined participants' interpersonal emotion regulation behaviors and socioemotional experiences in everyday social interactions over the course of 1 week. These methods allowed us to examine effort at both momentary and person levels. We found that people who habitually put in more intrinsic effort to feel better through others felt worse overall. People also felt worse on occasions when they put in more effort to extrinsically help others feel better, although at the person level extrinsic effort was associated with higher interaction quality. Together, our findings suggest that interpersonal emotion regulation success is not simply a matter of trying hard. This observation opens new research avenues to investigate the interplay of different factors that determine when, and for whom, investing effort in interpersonal emotion regulation pays off. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The Effect of a Horticultural Therapy Program based on Cognitive-Behavioral Emotion Regulation Training on Improving the Emotional Intelligence, Emotion Regulation Ability, and Resilience of Children Eligible for Priority Support for Educational Welfare

Background and objective: This study sought to develop a horticultural therapy program (HTP) based on cognitive- behavioral emotion regulation training (CBERT) to improve the emotional intelligence, emotion regulation, and resilience of children eligible for priority support for educational welfare, and investigate its effects.Methods: To conduct this study, an HTP based on CBERT was developed using indoor horticulture activities. The program was conducted on 42 children (21 in the experimental group and 21 in the control group) in grades 3 to 4 who were eligible for priority support for educational welfareand were attending D elementary school in Incheon metropolitan city. Emotional intelligence, emotion regulation, and resilience were measured using self-report questionnaires before and after participating in the HTP.Results: The study found that the emotional intelligence (p &lt; .01), emotion regulation (p &lt; .01), and resilience (p &lt;.01) of the children who participated in the experiment were significantly increased.Conclusion: Through this study, it was confirmed that an HTP based on appropriate CBERT has a positive effect on improving children's emotional intelligence, emotion regulation ability, and resilience. In future research, it will be necessary to expand its application to all grades and general children as well as children eligible for priority support for educational welfare.

The projection from dorsal medial prefrontal cortex to basolateral amygdala promotes behaviors of negative emotion in rats.

Brain circuits between medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and amygdala have been implicated in cortical control of emotion, especially anxiety. Studies in recent years focus on differential roles of subregions of mPFC and amygdala, and reciprocal pathways between mPFC and amygdala in regulation of emotional behaviors. It has been shown that, while the projection from ventral mPFC to basomedial amygdala has an anxiolytic effect, the reciprocal projections between dorsal mPFC (dmPFC) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) are generally involved in an anxiogenic effect in various conditions with increased anxiety. However, the function of the projection from dmPFC to BLA in regulation of general emotional behaviors under normal conditions remains unclear. In this study, we used optogenetic analysis to identify how this dmPFC-BLA pathway regulates various emotional behaviors in normal rats. We found that optogenetic stimulation of the dmPFC-BLA pathway promoted a behavioral state of negative emotion, increasing anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors and producing aversive behavior of place avoidance. Conversely, optogenetic inhibition of this pathway produced opposite effects, reducing anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors, and inducing behaviors of place preference of reward. These findings suggest that activity of the dmPFC-BLA pathway is sufficient to drive a negative emotion state and the mPFC-amygdala circuit is tonically active in cortical regulation of emotional behaviors.

The effectiveness of The Paradoxical Therapy Model on Behavioral Emotion Regulation, Perceived Rejection, and Cognitive State of Retirees

The current research aimed to determine the effectiveness of the paradoxical therapy model on behavioral emotion regulation, perceived rejection, and cognitive status of retirees from Bank Melli in Tehran. The study employed a quasi-experimental method with experimental and control groups in a pretest-posttest design. The population consisted of all male and female retirees of Bank Melli Tehran in 2023, and based on a convenience sampling method, 30 individuals were selected and randomly assigned to the experimental (15 individuals) and control (15 individuals) groups. The data collection tools included the Kraaij and Garnefski Behavioral Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (2019), the Leary and McDonald Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (2010), and the Nejati Cognitive Skills Questionnaire (2013). The paradoxical therapy sessions comprised six 60-minute sessions held weekly. Data were analyzed using multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance with the SPSS software package. The results showed a significant difference in the linear combination of scores for behavioral emotion regulation, perceived rejection, and cognitive status of the retirees participating in this study based on the group (F = 7.669, sig = 0.0001). Furthermore, the eta-squared coefficients indicated that 78.2% of the variance in the dependent variables was accounted for by the grouping variables (experimental and control groups). Thus, the implementation of the paradoxical therapy approach has improved emotional regulation behavior and cognitive status, and reduced the scores for perceived rejection.

When you avoid your feelings, you may feel even worse: how depersonalization puts you at risk of depression.

The clinical form of depersonalization affects approximately 1%-2% of the adult population. This study aimed to describe the symptoms of depersonalization in a non-clinical sample and to operationalize depersonalization as a regulatory mechanism. This article introduces the Depersonalization Mechanism Scale, 41-item measure developed to assess one's tendency for depersonalization in response to overstimulation. The aim of the study is to explore how depersonalization mechanism is associated with cognitive and behavioral emotion regulation strategies, depression, and anxiety. The study included a sample of 300 Polish adults (149 men) from the general population, ranging in age from 18 to 60. Participants were administered the following questionnaires: Depersonalization Mechanism Scale (DMS), Behavioral Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (BERQ), Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), Occupational Depression Inventory (ODI), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), and Trait Anxiety Scale (SL-C). An exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure of Depersonalization Mechanism Scale, with very high reliability coefficients for both subscales and full scale. A regression analysis revealed that depersonalization mechanism is a significant predictor of depressive symptoms. Depersonalization mechanism is strongly correlated with maladaptive regulation strategies such as withdrawal, ignoring, rumination, catastrophizing, self-blame, and blaming others. Weaker but significant connections were identified with certain adaptive strategies: acceptance, positive refocusing, putting into perspective, and seeking social support. Women were more prone to depersonalization than men. Further research on depersonalization in non-clinical samples may improve understanding of this mechanism in the general population. This knowledge, combined with greater education about non-clinical forms of depersonalization, may support preventive programs against depression and professional assistance for people facing acute or chronic stressful life events.

Do emotional regulation behaviors matter in EFL teachers' professional development? A process model approach

The effectiveness of pedagogical approaches to teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) can be enhanced by ensuring that teachers are in a psychologically sound state, allowing them to upgrade their professional skills. Emotional regulation (ER) is acknowledged as a key factor in enhancing one’s professional capabilities. However, research in this area is notably underdeveloped. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the utilization level and impact of ER strategies on EFL teachers’ professional development in Chinese higher educational institutions. The research used a survey approach, employing questionnaires as the primary means of data collection. The data was then analysed through structural equation modelling and a descriptive statistical approach. The findings provide evidence that EFL teachers effectively employ various ER strategies to navigate the challenges inherent in the classroom, underscoring their adaptability and resilience. Moreover, the study identified a significant relationship between the use of ER and EFL teachers’ professional development. These findings highlight the essential role of emotional regulation in the teaching journeys of EFL educators and underscore the importance of integrating emotional regulation training into teacher development programs. FUNDING INFORMATION. This study is supported by the Education and Teaching Research Project of Henan Province, China (Grant No. 2022SYJXLX051), and the Education and Teaching Research Project of the International Cooperation and Exchange Division, Ministry of Education, China. (Grant No. (2023) No. 156).

Emotion Regulation Convoys: Individual and Age Differences in the Hierarchical Configuration of Emotion Regulation Behaviors in Everyday Life

A key limitation of studying emotion regulation behavior is that there is currently no way to describe individual differences in use across a range of tactics, which could lead to investigations of intraindividual changes over time or interindividual differences as a function of personality, age, culture, or psychopathology diagnosis. We, therefore, introduce emotion regulation convoys. This research tool provides a snapshot of the hierarchy of emotion regulation tactics an individual favors across everyday life situations and how effective they are at regulating moods. We present data from a 3-month measurement burst study of emotion regulation behavior in everyday life in a sample (N = 236) of younger (18–39), middle-aged (40–59), and older adults (60–87), focusing on how individuals’ convoys may vary in how much they include tactics that involve upregulating-positivity, downregulating-negativity, upregulating-negativity, as well as acceptance, and how these may be differentially effective. Among the most frequently used tactics (top tactics), older adults used a lower proportion of negativity-downregulating tactics than younger adults (p < .001), and younger adults’ mood was more negatively affected by these tactics than middle-aged and older adults. Overall, using positivity-upregulating as a top tactic also predicted better mood post-regulation. Older adults’ emotion regulation convoys may be made up of more effective tactics; in general, they reported more positive mood post-regulation than the other age groups. Convoys help us see emotion regulation as a hierarchical configuration of potentially effective behaviors, allowing us to test for between-group differences and within-person changes more precisely.

Individual-differences affecting emotion regulation behaviors of injured athletes: A retrospective quantitative study.

Suppressing the expression of negative emotions caused by injuries prevents athletes from fully accepting their sports injuries. However, acceptance is maintained and promoted when positive reappraisal and suppression are synchronized. This study analyzes individual-differences affecting the use of these two emotion regulation behaviors. A questionnaire consisting of personal variables regarding athletic identity, commitment to sports ethics and emotion regulation behavior scale for suppression and positive reappraisal was conducted on athletes with previous injuries (N = 180). A model estimate using correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis was examined utilizing structural equation modeling. The results indicated that commitment to sports ethics and athletic identity promoted the suppression of expressiveness toward negative emotions and positive reappraisal. In contrast, difficulty describing feelings facilitated suppression and hindered positive reappraisal. These results seem to suggest that commitment to sports ethics and athletic identity might facilitate suppression and positive reappraisal, as well as function as variables maintaining and promoting accepting sports injuries. On the other hand, difficulties in describing feelings might lead to abnormal responses caused by accumulated negative emotions due to the suppression of expressing negative emotions and lack of positive reappraisal promotion.

It takes two: The relative contributions of parent versus child-led regulatory behaviours on toddler vaccination pain.

Past research has established the important role of parent soothing in early childhood pain management. However, limited research has assessed children's own emerging emotion regulation strategies to reduce their pain during vaccination. The purpose of the current study was to understand the relative contributions of child-led emotion-regulation behaviours over and above parent regulatory behaviours and pre-needle distress. Toddler-caregiver dyads were videotaped at their 12- and/or 18-month vaccinations. Videos were coded for pain-related behavioural distress, child-led regulatory behaviours (disengagement of attention, parent-focused behaviours, and physical self-soothing), and parent regulatory/soothing behaviours (distraction, physical comfort, rocking, verbal reassurance). Pre-needle distress, followed by parent regulatory behaviours, followed by child regulatory behaviours were used as hierarchical predictors of pain regulation. Two sets of models were estimated at each age, by incorporating parent and child regulatory behaviours at 1 min and 2 min post-needle, separately. At both ages, child-led parent-focused behaviours predicted less regulation. At 18 months, parent soothing behaviours (e.g. distraction, verbal reassurance, rocking) played a stronger role in regulation, however; the only behaviour that increased regulation was rocking. Measuring both parent and child regulatory behaviours was important for fully understanding pain-related distress regulation. Toddlers' use of parent-focused regulatory behaviours (e.g. proximity seeking) suggests that they signal to their parent directly when they are struggling to regulate post-needle. The only parent behaviour that supported this regulation was rocking at 18 months, suggesting a greater need to understand the sensitivity of parent behaviours post-needle. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine both parent and child regulatory behaviours following vaccination at different stages in toddlerhood. This investigation allows a deeper understanding of the dyadic nature of early childhood vaccination, as well as the evolving role of the parent through toddlerhood. Importantly, findings suggest that toddlers do not simply wait for their parents to respond to their pain post-needle and provide clear signals to show their need of support in regulation.

Noradrenergic control of neurobehavior in human binge-eating disorder and obesity (NOBEAD): A smartphone-supported behavioral emotion regulation intervention study protocol integrating molecular brain imaging.

The neurobehavioral underpinnings of binge-eating disorder (BED), co-occurring with obesity (OB), are largely unknown. This research project conceptualizes BED as a disorder with dysfunctional emotion regulation (ER) linked with changes in central noradrenaline (NA) transmission and NA-modulated neuronal networks. We expect abnormalities in NA activity in both BED and OB, but most pronounced in BED. We expect these abnormalities to be modifiable through state-of-the-art ER intervention, specifically in BED. To assess the role of NA transmission, we will quantify changes in NA transporter (NAT) availability using the highly NAT-specific [11 C]methylreboxetin (MRB) and positron emission tomography-magnetic resonance imaging (PET-MRI) that allows measuring molecular and neuronal changes before and after an ER intervention. Individual 12-session smartphone-supported acceptance-based behavioral therapy will be conducted to improve ER. Thirty individuals with OB and BED (OB + BED), 30 individuals with OB without BED (OB - BED), and 20 individuals with normal weight will undergo assessments of NAT availability and neuronal network activity under rest and stimulated conditions, clinical interviews, self-report questionnaires on eating behavior, ER, mental and physical health, and quality of life, and neuropsychological tests on executive function. Afterwards, in an experimental randomized-controlled design, individuals with OB + BED and OB - BED will be allocated to smartphone-supported ER intervention versus a waitlist and re-assessed after 10 weeks. By obtaining biological and behavioral markers, the proposed study will disentangle the involvement of NAT and the central NA system in the modulation of emotion-supporting neuronal networks that influence eating behavior. Neurobehavioral mechanisms of change during an ER intervention will be determined. German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS): DRKS00029367. This study investigates the central noradrenaline system by using hybrid brain imaging in conjunction with emotion regulation as a putative core biological mechanism in individuals with obesity with or without binge-eating disorder that is targeted by emotion regulation intervention. The results will provide a molecular signature beyond functional imaging biomarkers as a predictive biomarker toward precision medicine for tailoring treatments for individuals with binge-eating disorders and obesity.