Age Differences in Emotion Regulation During a Distressing Film Scene

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Hofer ◽  
Laetitia Burkhard ◽  
Mathias Allemand
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategies ◽  
Manipulation Check ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Specific Emotion ◽  
Regulation Strategies ◽  
Theoretical Considerations

Recent research has emphasized age differences in emotion regulation strategies. However, not much is known about age differences in the use of different regulation strategies during a highly distressing film scene that evokes strong negative emotions of anger and sadness. Therefore, we examined age differences in four situation-specific emotion regulation strategies – namely, rumination, distraction, suppression, and mediality (a form of media-specific reappraisal). A sample of 99 older and 108 younger participants reported their current emotional state, then watched a highly distressing film scene, and finally reported their emotional reactions to the scene and the emotion regulation strategies they used. The manipulation check indicated that the film was successful in eliciting strong negative emotions of sadness and anger. Furthermore, after securing measurement invariance, we found that older adults reported higher scores in mediality and suppression than younger adults. No differences were found concerning distraction and rumination. Results are discussed in the light of theoretical considerations.

One Size Does Not Fit All: Tailoring Cognitive Reappraisal to Different Emotions

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 469-484
Author(s):  
Allon Vishkin ◽  
Yossi Hasson ◽  
Yael Millgram ◽  
Maya Tamir
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Cognitive Reappraisal ◽  
Efficacy Study ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategies ◽  
Perceived Efficacy ◽  
Specific Emotion ◽  
Regulation Strategies

Emotion regulation strategies have been typically studied independently of the specific emotions people try to change by using them. However, to the extent that negative emotions are inherently different from one another, people may choose different means to change them. Focusing on fear and sadness, we first mapped emotion-related content to theoretically matched reappraisal tactics. We then tested how frequently people choose such reappraisal tactics when regulating fear and sadness (Studies 1, 2, and 4a). As predicted, people were most likely to select reappraisal tactics that targeted content that was particularly relevant to the specific emotion they tried to regulate. Next, we tested whether such choices were driven by differences in the efficacy (Study 3), perceived efficacy (Study 4b), and anticipated effort (Study 4c) of regulation. Our findings demonstrate that the means people select to regulate their emotions depend on which emotions they try to regulate.

scholarly journals Age Differences in Beliefs About Emotion Regulation Strategies

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 316-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly M Livingstone ◽  
Vanessa L Castro ◽  
Derek M Isaacowitz
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Latent Profile Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategies ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Regulation Strategies

Abstract Objectives Age shifts in emotion regulation may be rooted in beliefs about different strategies. We test whether there are age differences in the beliefs people hold about specific emotion regulation strategies derived from the process model of emotion regulation and whether profiles of emotion beliefs vary by age. Method An adult life-span sample (N = 557) sorted 13 emotion regulation strategies either by (a) how effective the strategies would be or (b) how likely they would be to use them, in 15 negative emotion-eliciting situations. Results Younger adults ranked attentional and cognitive distraction more effective than older adults, and preferred avoidance, distraction, and rumination more (and attentional deployment less) than middle-aged and older adults. Latent profile analysis on preferences identified three distinct strategy profiles: Classically adaptive regulators preferred a variety of strategies; situation modifiers showed strong preferences for changing situations; a small percentage of people preferred avoidance and rumination. Middle-aged and older adults were more likely than younger adults to be classically adaptive regulators (as opposed to situation modifiers or avoiders/ruminators). Discussion These findings provide insight into the reasons people of different ages may select and implement different emotion regulation strategies, which may influence their emotional well-being.

scholarly journals Preschool children's views on emotion regulation: Functional associations and implications for social-emotional adjustment

2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy A. Dennis ◽  
Deborah A. Kelemen
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Emotional Adjustment ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategies ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Intentional Control ◽  
Maternal Report ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Regulation Strategies ◽  
Children’S Views

Previous studies show that preschool children view negative emotions as susceptible to intentional control. However, the extent of this understanding and links with child social-emotional adjustment are poorly understood. To examine this, 62 3- and 4-year-olds were presented with puppet scenarios in which characters experienced anger, sadness, and fear. Forty-seven adults were presented with a parallel questionnaire. Participants rated the degree to which six emotion-regulation strategies were effective in decreasing negative emotions. Results showed that even the youngest preschoolers viewed cognitive and behavioral distraction and repairing the situation as relatively effective; compared to adults, however, preschoolers favored relatively “ineffective” strategies such as venting and rumination. Children also showed a functional view of emotion regulation; that effective strategies depend on the emotion being regulated. All participants favored repairing a negative situation to reduce anger and behavioral distraction to reduce sadness and fear. Finally, the more children indicated that venting would reduce negative emotions, the lower their maternal report of social skills. Findings are discussed in terms of functional emotion theory and implications of emotion-regulation understanding for child adjustment.

scholarly journals Effects of Differential Strategies of Emotion Regulation

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Boehme ◽  
Stefanie C. Biehl ◽  
Andreas Mühlberger
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
P300 Amplitude ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategies ◽  
Common Strategy ◽  
Regulation Strategies ◽  
And Training

Patients suffering from mental disorders, especially anxiety disorders, are often impaired by inadequate emotional reactions. Specific aspects are the insufficient perception of their own emotional states and the use of dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies. Both aspects are interdependent. Thus, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) comprises the development and training of adequate emotion regulation strategies. Traditionally, reappraisal is the most common strategy, but strategies of acceptance are becoming more important in the course of advancing CBT. Indeed, there is evidence that emotion regulation strategies differ in self-reported effectiveness, psychophysiological reactions, and underlying neural correlates. However, comprehensive comparisons of different emotion regulation strategies are sparse. The present study, therefore, compared the effect of three common emotion regulation strategies (reappraisal, acceptance, and suppression) on self-reported effectiveness, recollection, and psychophysiological as well as electroencephalographic dimensions. Twenty-nine healthy participants were instructed to either reappraise, accept, suppress, or passively observe their upcoming emotional reactions while anxiety- and sadness-inducing pictures were presented. Results showed a compelling effect of reappraisal on emotional experience, skin conductance response, and P300 amplitude. Acceptance was almost as effective as reappraisal, but led to increased emotional experience. Combining all results, suppression was shown to be the least effective but significantly decreased emotional experience when thoughts and feelings had to be suppressed. Moreover, results show that greater propensity for rumination differentially impairs strategies of emotion regulation.

scholarly journals Emotions as Context: Do the Naturalistic Effects of Emotion Regulation Strategies Depend on the Regulated Emotion?

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 451-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew W. Southward ◽  
Jane E. Heiy ◽  
Jennifer S. Cheavens
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategies ◽  
Emotional Suppression ◽  
Specific Emotion ◽  
Regulation Strategies ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
External Stimuli ◽  
Other Blame ◽  
Momentary Assessment

Introduction: Researchers have examined how several contexts impact the effectiveness of emotion regulation strategies. However, few have considered the emotion-to-be-regulated as a context of interest. Specific emotions are important contexts because they may require particular responses to internal and external stimuli for optimal regulation. Method: Ninety-two undergraduates completed 10 days of ecological momentary assessment, reporting their current mood, recent emotions, and emotion regulation strategies three times per day. Results: The frequency with which certain emotion regulation strategies were used (i.e., acceptance, positive refocusing, reappraisal, problem-solving, and other-blame) differed by the specific emotion experienced. Acceptance and positive refocusing were associated with better mood regardless of emotion, while substance use was associated with worse mood regardless of emotion. Reappraisal was associated with better mood in response to anger than anxiety or sadness, while emotional suppression and other-blame were associated with worse mood in response to anger. Discussion: These results suggest some emotion regulation strategies exhibit emotion-invariant effects while others depend on the emotion-to-be-regulated.

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