Malleability Beliefs Research Articles

Emotion malleability beliefs matter in emotion regulation: a comprehensive review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Individuals’ beliefs about the malleability of emotions have been theorised to play a role in their psychological distress by influencing emotion regulation processes, such as the use of emotion regulation strategies. We conducted a meta-analysis to test this idea across studies with a focus on the relationships between emotion malleability beliefs and five distinct emotion regulation strategies: cognitive reappraisal, suppression, avoidance, rumination, and acceptance. Further, using two-stage meta-analytic structural equation modelling (TSSEM), we examined whether the emotion regulation strategies mediate the cross-sectional relationship between emotion malleability beliefs and psychological distress across studies. Thirty-seven studies were included in the meta-analyses and 55 cross-sectional studies were included in the TSSEM. Results demonstrated that, across studies, emotion malleability beliefs were significantly associated with greater use of putatively helpful strategies (particularly with cognitive reappraisal) and less use of putatively unhelpful strategies (particularly with avoidance). The use of cognitive reappraisal and avoidance partially mediated the relationship between emotion malleability beliefs and psychological distress. These results highlight the importance of considering beliefs about the malleability of emotions in the context of emotion regulation. These findings suggest the potential role of emotion malleability beliefs in interventions for individuals with emotion regulation-related difficulties and psychological distress.

Beliefs about depression relate to active and avoidant coping in high-symptom adolescents

BackgroundPerceptions of personal attributes as less malleable are associated with more severe depression symptoms and less active coping in youth. Perceptions of depression itself as relatively fixed have been linked to more severe depression symptoms; however, it is not known how beliefs about depression relate to active and avoidant coping behaviors in particular. MethodsWe gathered information about beliefs about depression and activation and avoidance behaviors among 104 adolescents with high depression symptoms. The primary depression belief examined was prognostic pessimism, or the belief that depression is relatively permanent. We calculated correlations between this belief and activation and avoidance/rumination behaviors. ResultsPrognostic pessimism was negatively correlated with behavioral activation scores (r = −0.31; p = .001), and was positively correlated with behavioral avoidance/rumination scores (r = 0.30; p = .002). LimitationsThis data was cross-sectional, and relied on self-report measures of depression beliefs and behaviors. ConclusionsAdolescents who believe that depression is relatively permanent might feel less motivated to engage in effortful activation behaviors, instead favoring avoidance. These results may help elucidate the ways in which malleability beliefs relate to mental health outcomes among adolescents, and highlight prognostic pessimism as a potential treatment target for reducing depressogenic behaviors.

Believing in Change Matters! The Role of Emotion Malleability Beliefs in Emotion Regulation and Paranoid Ideation

PurposeBeliefs that emotions can be changed (i.e., malleability beliefs) are relevant to emotion regulation. Emotion regulation plays a crucial role in severe mental health symptoms, such as paranoid delusions, but it remains unknown to which extent malleability beliefs contribute to a dysfunctional pattern of emotion regulation in individuals experiencing paranoid ideation. Therefore, we investigated whether malleability beliefs are associated with paranoid ideation and whether emotion regulation accounts for this association.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional assessment in a sample of individuals with psychotic disorders (n = 50) and a community sample (n = 218) and collected self-report data on malleability beliefs, the use of emotion regulation strategies (reappraisal, acceptance, rumination, expressive suppression, experience suppression), and paranoid ideation.ResultsMultivariate regressions showed that greater beliefs that emotions are malleable predicted more reappraisal and acceptance in both samples and less rumination in the community sample. Malleability beliefs did not predict the strategies of suppressing an emotion or its expression. In the community sample, but not in the clinical sample, greater beliefs that emotions are malleable were associated with less frequent paranoid ideation and emotion regulation accounted for significant variance in the relationship.ConclusionsThe findings indicate that malleability beliefs do not contribute to paranoid delusions in individuals with psychotic disorders. However, in individuals with subclinical paranoid ideation, a failure to perceive emotions as malleable could hinder adaptive attempts to regulate emotions leading to increased negative affect and thereby pave the way for paranoid ideation. Malleability beliefs may thus represent a promising target for prevention.

The association between emotion malleability beliefs and severe psychological distress stratified by sex, age, and presence of any psychiatric disorders.

Recent studies have shown an association between psychological distress and emotion malleability beliefs, meaning mindsets about whether one's emotions are fixed or changeable. However, most studies have not examined the association between these beliefs and sociodemographic factors. A nationwide cross-sectional Internet survey of residents of Japan aged 15-79 years was conducted using sampling weights for national estimates to investigate the association between emotion malleability beliefs and sociodemographic factors and between fixed beliefs and severe psychological distress (SPD). SPD was defined as a Kessler 6 Scale score of ≥13. Adjusted odds ratios for SPD were calculated considering potential confounders. Further analyses were stratified by sex, age and presence of any psychiatric disorder. The analysis included 23,142 participants (female, 48.64%). Fixed beliefs were associated with female sex, age < 45 years, and presence of psychiatric disorders. These beliefs were associated with SPD, and additional analysis showed stronger associations with SPD among female respondents, respondents aged 45-59 years, and those aged ≥60 years. Results indicate that female sex, age < 45 years, and current mental disorders were associated with fixed emotion malleability beliefs. Associations between fixed emotion malleability beliefs and SPD were particularly strong among female respondents and people aged ≥45 years compared with the general population. Our study extends the association between emotion malleability beliefs and psychological health to the general population. Future studies should explore mechanisms underlying individual differences in emotion beliefs.

Identifying core beliefs of an intercultural educator: How polyculturalism and group malleability beliefs shape teachers’ pedagogical thinking and practice

Manifestations of educational inequity in diversifying societies have led to a wide acknowledgement of the need to develop all teachers’ competencies to work in the context of diversity. The domain of beliefs and attitudes is generally included as one key component of teachers’ intercultural competence, but there is little consensus over what the core beliefs shaping teachers’ intercultural competencies are. This mixed methods study draws from social psychological research on inter-group relations and explores the role of polyculturalist beliefs and group malleability beliefs in shaping teachers’ orientation to teaching for diversity and social justice. A hypothesized model was tested on survey data from Finnish comprehensive school teachers (N = 231) with structural equation modeling. Findings indicate that polyculturalism, in particular, strongly explains teachers’ teaching for social justice beliefs and enthusiasm for teaching in the context of diversity. Furthermore, we present a case analysis, based on classroom observations and stimulated recall interviews, of how polyculturalism actualizes in one Finnish elementary school teacher’s pedagogical thinking and practice, and discuss the implications of our findings for teacher education and further research.

Do Beliefs That Older Adults Are Inflexible Serve as a Barrier to Racial Equality?

Past research has demonstrated that older adults are stereotyped as less malleable than young adults. Moreover, beliefs that people are less malleable are associated with lower confrontations of prejudice, as perpetrators are seen as less capable of changing their (prejudiced) behavior. The present research sought to integrate these lines of research to demonstrate that endorsement of ageist beliefs that older adults are less malleable will lead to a lower confrontation of anti-Black prejudice espoused by older adults. Across four experimental studies (N = 1,573), people were less likely to confront anti-Black prejudice espoused by an 82-year-old compared with a 62-, 42-, or 20-year-old, due, in part, to beliefs that older adults are less malleable. Further exploration demonstrated that malleability beliefs about older adults were held across young, middle-aged, and older adult samples. These findings demonstrate how stereotypes about older adults can impede racial equality.

Relation of emotion malleability beliefs to subjective well-being: A short-term longitudinal study.

Prior research has shown that emotion malleability beliefs are positively related to subjective well-being, but less is known about the longitudinal relationship between both variables. The present study used a two-wave longitudinal design to examine the temporal directionality of the relationship in a sample of Chinese adults. Using cross-lagged models, we found that emotion malleability beliefs predicted all three dimensions of subjective well-being (i.e. positive affect, life satisfaction, and negative affect) 2 months later. However, we did not detect any reverse or reciprocal effect between emotion malleability beliefs and subjective well-being. In addition, emotion malleability beliefs still predicted life satisfaction and positive affect after controlling for the effect of the cognitive or emotional component of subjective well-being. Our study provided primary evidence for the temporal directionality of the association between emotion malleability beliefs and subjective well-being. Implications and suggestions for future research were discussed.

Public mental health during and after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: Opportunities for intervention via emotional self-efficacy and resilience.

During the pandemic, the number of United States adults reporting clinically significant symptoms of anxiety and depression sky-rocketed, up from 11% in 2020 to more than 40% in 2021. Our current mental healthcare system cannot adequately accommodate the current crisis; it is therefore important to identify opportunities for public mental health interventions. Assess whether modifiable emotional factors may offer a point of intervention for the mental health crisis. From January 13 to 15, 2022, adults living in the United States were recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk to complete an anonymous survey. Linear regressions tested whether the primary outcomes during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (depressive and anxiety symptoms, burnout) were associated with hypothesized modifiable risk factors (loneliness and need for closure) and hypothesized modifiable protective factors (the ability to perceive emotions and connect with others emotionally; emotion-regulation efficacy; and resilience, or the ability to "bounce back" after negative events). The sample included 1,323 adults (mean [SD] age 41.42 [12.52] years; 636 women [48%]), almost half of whom reported clinically significant depressive (29%) and/or anxiety (15%) symptoms. Approximately 90% of participants indicated feeling burned out at least once a year and nearly half of participants (45%) felt burned out once a week or more. In separate analyses, depressive symptoms (Model A), anxiety symptoms (Model B), and burnout (Model C) were statistically significantly associated with loneliness (βModel A, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.33-0.43; βModel B, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.26-0.36; βModel C, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.28-0.41), need for closure (βModel A, 0.09; 95% CI, 1.03-1.06; βModel B, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.97-0.17; βModel C, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.07-0.16), recent stressful life events (βModel A, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.10-0.17; βModel B, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.11-0.18; βModel C, 0.10; 95% CI, 0.06-0.15), and resilience (βModel A, -0.10; 95% CI, -0.15 to -0.05; βModel B, -0.18; 95% CI, -0.23 to -0.13; βModel C, -0.11; 95% CI, -0.17 to -0.05). In addition, depressive and anxiety symptoms were associated with emotional self-efficacy (βModel A, -0.17; 95% CI, -0.22 to -0.12; βModel B, -0.11; 95% CI, -0.17 to -0.06), and beliefs about the malleability of emotions (βModel A, -0.08; 95% CI, -0.12 to -0.03; βModel B, -0.09; 95% CI, -0.13 to -0.04). Associations between loneliness and symptoms were weaker among those with more emotional self-efficacy, more endorsement of emotion malleability beliefs, and greater resilience, in separate models. Analyses controlled for recent stressful life events, optimism, and social desirability. Public mental health interventions that teach resilience in response to negative events, emotional self-efficacy, and emotion-regulation efficacy may protect against the development of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and burnout, particularly in the context of a collective trauma. Emotional self-efficacy and regulation efficacy may mitigate the association between loneliness and mental health, but loneliness prevention research is also needed to address the current mental health crisis.

DO BELIEFS THAT OLDER ADULTS ARE INFLEXIBLE SERVE AS A BARRIER TO RACIAL EQUITY?

Abstract Past research has demonstrated that older adults are stereotyped as less malleable than younger adults, such that older adults are perceived to be less capable of changing their beliefs and learning new things. Moreover, beliefs that people are less malleable are associated with lower confrontations of prejudice, as perpetrators are seen as less capable of changing their (prejudiced) behavior. The aim of the present research was to integrate these lines of research to demonstrate that endorsement of ageist beliefs that older adults are less malleable will lead to lower confrontation of anti-Black prejudice espoused by older adults. Across four experimental studies (N = 1,310), people were less likely to confront anti-Black prejudice espoused by an 82 year-old compared to a 62, 42, or 20 year-old, due, in part, to beliefs that older adults are less malleable. Further exploration demonstrated that malleability beliefs about older adults were held across young, middle-aged, and older adult samples, though older participants were the least likely to confront prejudice, regardless of perpetrator age. Alternative mechanisms are explored, including respect, perceived social influence, and perceived awareness of egalitarian norms. These findings demonstrate how stereotypes about older adults can impede racial equality and highlight that interventions geared towards reducing ageism could, in turn, lead to greater racial equality.

The tendency to dehumanize, group malleability beliefs, and perceived threat from migrants in Hungary.

Examining the humanness attributed to several groups in a comprehensive Hungarian sample (N = 505) at the height of the "European refugee crisis of 2015," we found that Hungarians dehumanize Eastern ethnic groups more and Western ethnic groups less than they do to their own ethnic ingroup. Interestingly, we also found that a general tendency of dehumanization is expressed across all national groups. This general tendency of dehumanization was strongly associated with threat perceived from migrants, but the relationship was mediated by group malleability-the belief that human groups can change and are not set in their ways irreversibly. Malleability beliefs were negatively linked to dehumanization tendencies and threat perceived from migrants. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the findings that point to the critical role of fixed mindsets about groups in the mechanisms linked to prejudice in a highly xenophobic Hungarian context.

Linguistic distancing predicts response to a digital single-session intervention for adolescent depression

Examining the linguistic characteristics of youths' writing may be a promising method for detecting youth who are struggling. In this study, we examined linguistic patterns of adolescent responses to writing prompts in a large, well-powered trial of an evidence-based, digital single-session intervention teaching malleability beliefs about personal traits and symptoms (“growth mindset”). Participants who completed the intervention as part of a larger randomized control trial were included in this preregistered study (n = 638, https://osf.io/zqmxt). Participants’ responses were processed using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count. We tested correlations between linguistic variables (i.e., linguistic distancing, positive affect, negative affect, insight, certainty), baseline outcome variables, post-intervention outcome variables, and 3-month post-intervention outcome variables. We also used Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression models to identify key predictors of treatment outcomes. As hypothesized, greater use of linguistic distancing was associated with lower levels of baseline hopelessness and higher levels of perceived agency. Additionally, per LASSO models including all linguistic variables, greater use of linguistic distancing predicted larger reductions in depressive symptoms from baseline to three-month follow-up. Linguistic distancing appeared to account for 27% of the variance in depression trajectories when also accounting for baseline depression. Clinical registration NoNCT04634903

Malleability beliefs shape mathematics-related achievement emotions: The mediating role of emotion regulation in primary school children

Along the primary school children show a decrease in enjoyment, while anxiety and boredom increase, leading to detrimental effects on performance and wellbeing. This suggests the need to deepen the knowledge of the factors linked with regulation of positive and negative affect. We hypothesized that the more children believe emotions are malleable, the higher is their tendency to regulate them and their enjoyment rather than anxiety or boredom in mathematics. Then, we expected emotions to be related to mathematics-related achievement. We involved 715 second and fourth-graders using self-report questionnaires and a standardized test to assess achievement. The beliefs in the malleability related to emotion regulation, which mediated the associations with achievement emotions; achievement emotions were linked to achievement and mediated the relation between emotion regulation and achievement. We highlight the importance to foster emotion regulation since the primary school, also though shaping the beliefs in the malleability of emotions.

I wish that I could be like the cool kids: The role of the malleability narrative in entertainment television and magazines on adolescents’ popularity beliefs

The current study aimed to examine how mediated portrayals of popularity relate to adolescents’ well-being. We hypothesized that exposure to malleability messages in entertainment television and magazines related to a higher belief in the malleability of popularity, which was, in turn, believed to relate to a duality of well-being outcomes. On the one hand, such malleability beliefs might be beneficial to adolescents’ self-esteem. On the other hand, adolescents presumably experience increased feelings of pressure to be popular. The results of a survey study among 881 adolescents (M = 17.08) revealed that adolescents who are frequently exposed to malleability messages about popularity have a firmer belief in the malleability of their own popularity status, which, in its turn, positively relates to self-esteem and popularity pressure. Malleability messages might thus provide adolescents with confidence, but simultaneously induce feelings of pressure because they can, and therefore must, become popular.

Valuing emotional control in social anxiety disorder: A multimethod study of emotion beliefs and emotion regulation.

This study examines relationships between emotion beliefs and emotion regulation strategy use among people with social anxiety disorder (SAD) and a psychologically healthy control group. Using experience-sampling methodology, we tested group differences in 2 types of emotion beliefs (emotion control values and emotion malleability beliefs) and whether emotion beliefs predicted trait and daily use of cognitive reappraisal and emotion suppression. People with SAD endorsed higher emotion control values and lower emotion malleability beliefs than did healthy controls. Across groups, emotion control values were positively associated with suppression (but unrelated to reappraisal), and emotion malleability beliefs were negatively associated with suppression and positively associated with reappraisal. We also addressed 2 exploratory questions related to measurement. First, we examined whether trait and state measures of emotion regulation strategies were related to emotion control values in different ways and found similar associations across measures. Second, we examined whether explicit and implicit measures of emotion control values were related to daily emotion regulation strategy use in different ways-and found that an implicit measure was unrelated to strategy use. Results are discussed in the context of growing research on metaemotions and the measurement of complex features of emotion regulation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Emotion Malleability Beliefs and Emotion Experience and Regulation in the Daily Lives of People with High Trait Social Anxiety.

The extent to which a person believes they can change or control their own emotions is associated with trait-level symptoms of mood and anxiety-related psychopathology. Method: The present study examined how this belief relates to momentary and daily self-reports of affect, emotion regulation tendencies, and perceived effectiveness of emotion regulation attempts throughout a five-week experience sampling study conducted in N = 113 high socially anxious people (https://osf.io/eprwt/). Results suggest that people with relatively stronger beliefs that their emotions are malleable experienced more momentary and daily positive affect (relative to negative affect), even after controlling for social anxiety symptom severity (although only daily positive affect, and not momentary positive affect, remained significant after correcting for false discovery rate). However, emotion malleability beliefs were not uniquely associated with other emotion regulation-related outcomes in daily life, despite theory suggesting malleability beliefs influence motivation to engage in emotion regulation. The paucity of significant associations observed between trait malleability beliefs and momentary and daily self-reports of emotion regulation (despite consistent findings of such relationships at trait levels) calls for additional research to better understand the complex dynamics of emotion beliefs in daily life.

The moderating role of psychological distance on the impact of malleability beliefs on public attitudes toward punishment

The way people perceive and think about crime and punishment is a central aspect of normative culture and formal social control. This study aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the role played by malleability beliefs and psychological distance in the public’s punitive attitudes. To address these goals, we employed a 2X2 factorial experimental design, on a random stratified sample, in which we manipulated malleability beliefs about individuals (i.e., belief that personal character is fixed, nonmalleable, or belief that character is malleable and can be changed and developed) and psychological distance (i.e., people’s subjective experience that something is close or far away from the self). In order to examine the interactive effect of malleability beliefs and psychological distance on participants’ punitive attitudes, a two-way ANOVA was performed on a sample of 190 participants. Our findings revealed that participants who were exposed to the malleability beliefs condition had a significantly more positive attitude toward rehabilitative and restorative alternatives to incarceration than participants who were exposed to the fixed beliefs condition. Moreover, results revealed significant interaction between the effects of malleability beliefs and psychological distance levels on participants’ attitudes toward rehabilitative and restorative alternatives.

Emotion malleability beliefs and coping with the college transition.

First-year students navigating the transition to undergraduate life experience an increase in psychopathology, yet some students thrive while others struggle. The current study examined whether first-year students' beliefs about emotion's malleability predicted emotion regulation and mental health during this critical period. First-year college students completed a battery of self-report questionnaires at the beginning and end of the fall semester. Students who held more malleable views of emotion at the semester's onset reported more of a decrease in depression, more of an increase in the use of cognitive reappraisal, and decreased reliance on rumination as emotion regulation strategies during the fall semester. As hypothesized, emotion regulation played a significant role linking emotion malleability beliefs to depression. Students' beliefs that emotions were more malleable at the beginning of the semester predicted less depression at the end of the semester through greater use of cognitive reappraisal and less use of rumination. These results suggest that emotion malleability beliefs are systematically related to emotion regulation and mental health adjustment during this stressful transition and could be targets for intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Emotion malleability beliefs and event intensity and importance predict emotion regulation in daily life

Emotion malleability beliefs facilitate adaptive emotion regulation and, in turn, well-being. We aimed to develop a more nuanced understanding of how emotion malleability beliefs, event intensity, and event importance predict emotion regulation. Participants (N = 107) rated their emotion malleability beliefs before completing 5–7 daily diaries, rating the intensity and importance of a negative event and their use of 22 emotion regulation strategies in response to each event. Emotion malleability beliefs positively predicted use of cognitive change strategies, especially for more important events. Malleability beliefs interacted with importance and intensity to predict expressive suppression. There were limited associations between malleability beliefs and other strategies. The findings suggest that emotion malleability beliefs are tied to the use of specific strategies rather than emotion regulation overall and highlight the importance of considering how individual differences predict intra-individual variation in emotion regulation across different emotional events.

The Mediating Effect of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategy on the Relationship between Emotion Malleability Beliefs and Depression, Anxiety in Individual with Generalized Anxiety Tendency

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of cognitive emotion regulation strategy on the relationship between emotion malleability beliefs and depression, and between emotion malleability beliefs and anxiety in Individuals with GAD (Generalized anxiety disorder) symptoms. Methods: The 103 individuals with GAD symptoms respond to the questionnaires measuring emotion malleability beliefs, cognitive emotion regulation strategy, depression, anxiety. Results: Data from this study show that maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategy mediates the effect of emotion malleability beliefs on depression and anxiety. Adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategy has no mediating effect on them. Conclusions: These results suggest that making the individuals with GAD have emotion malleability beliefs or educating them on emotion regulation strategy may not be enough. Therefore, practical intervention is needed in the overall emotion regulation. Finally, this paper includes implications, limitations, and suggestions for the future study.

Emotion Beliefs, Emotion Regulation, and Emotional Experiences in Daily Life

One potential factor that could influence how individuals with at least moderate symptoms of depression cope with upsetting events in their daily lives is the beliefs that these individuals hold about whether emotions are malleable or fixed. The current study adopted an experience sampling approach to examine how the beliefs about emotion’s malleability related to daily positive and negative affect and daily emotion regulation efforts among individuals with at least moderate symptoms of depression (N = 84). Results demonstrated that individuals having at least moderate symptoms of depression who held more malleable beliefs about emotions reported decreased negative affect both overall during the day and specifically in response to daily upsetting events. Additionally, these individuals who held more malleable beliefs about their emotions also reported more daily use of cognitive reappraisal to regulate their emotions in response to upsetting daily events. Results from the current study extend previous work examining the relationship between emotion malleability beliefs, emotional experiences, and emotion regulation to examine these relationships in people who are moderately depressed as they navigate the emotional landscape of their daily lives.