Within Your Control? When Problem Solving May Be Most Helpful

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 932-952 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurel D. Sarfan ◽  
Peter Gooch ◽  
Elise M. Clerkin
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Negative Outcomes ◽  
Behavioral Avoidance ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategy ◽  
Regulation Strategies ◽  
Perception Of Performance

Emotion regulation strategies have been conceptualized as adaptive or maladaptive, but recent evidence suggests emotion regulation outcomes may be context-dependent. The present study tested whether the adaptiveness of a putatively adaptive emotion regulation strategy—problem solving—varied across contexts of high and low controllability. The present study also tested rumination, suggested to be one of the most putatively maladaptive strategies, which was expected to be associated with negative outcomes regardless of context. Participants completed an in vivo speech task, in which they were randomly assigned to a controllable ( n = 65) or an uncontrollable ( n = 63) condition. Using moderation analyses, we tested whether controllability interacted with emotion regulation use to predict negative affect, avoidance, and perception of performance. Partially consistent with hypotheses, problem solving was associated with certain positive outcomes (i.e., reduced behavioral avoidance) in the controllable (vs. uncontrollable) condition. Consistent with predictions, rumination was associated with negative outcomes (i.e., desired avoidance, negative affect, negative perception of performance) in both conditions. Overall, findings partially support contextual models of emotion regulation, insofar as the data suggest that the effects of problem solving may be more adaptive in controllable contexts for certain outcomes, whereas rumination may be maladaptive regardless of context.

Emotion Regulation Strategy Choices Following Aversive Self-Awareness in People Who Engage in Nonsuicidal Self-Injury or Indirect Self-Injury

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea Evanna Boccagno ◽  
Jill M. Hooley
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Cognitive Strategies ◽  
Memory Recall ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Behavioral Strategies ◽  
Physical Pain ◽  
Multiple Strategies ◽  
Self Injury ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategy ◽  
Regulation Strategies

Emotion regulation difficulties are implicated prominently in self-injury. Yet it is unclear how people who engage in different forms of self-injury attempt to regulate negative affect when multiple strategies are available to them. This laboratory-based study examined emotion regulation strategy choices in individuals who engage in non-suicidal self-injury (n=40), indirect forms of self-injury (disordered eating and substance abuse; n=46), and controls (n=48). Following a self-relevant stressor (negative autobiographical memory recall), participants selected one of six regulation strategies based on what they believed would most effectively alter their affect. Strategies spanned behavioral (physical pain, a snack, word activity) and non-behavioral (rumination, reappraisal, doing nothing) domains. Compared to controls, individuals who engage in NSSI and indirect self-injury were more likely to select behavioral strategies. In addition, those with NSSI and indirect self-injury were more likely than controls to choose physical pain and less likely to ruminate. Findings indicate that people with direct and indirect forms of self-injury alike are more likely to take action than to engage in further thought when experiencing aversive self-awareness, even when cognitive strategies are made salient. Results illuminate intervention targets for these clinical populations.

Emotion regulation from early adolescence to emerging adulthood and middle adulthood

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 182-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Zimmermann ◽  
Alexandra Iwanski
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Early Adolescence ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Developmental Changes ◽  
Middle Adulthood ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategies ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategy ◽  
Regulation Strategies ◽  
Age Range

Despite the growing research on emotion regulation, the empirical evidence for normative age-related emotion regulation patterns is rather divergent. From a life-span perspective, normative age changes in emotion regulation may be more salient applying the same methodological approach on a broad age range examining both growth and decline during development. In addition, emotion-specific developmental patterns might show differential developmental trends. The present study examined age differences in seven emotion regulation strategies from early adolescence (age 11) to middle adulthood (age 50) for the three emotions of sadness, fear, and anger. The results showed specific developmental changes in the use of emotion regulation strategies for each of the three emotions. In addition, results suggest age-specific increases and decreases in many emotion regulation strategies, with a general trend to increasing adaptive emotion regulation. Specifically, middle adolescence shows the smallest emotion regulation strategy repertoire. Gender differences appeared for most emotion regulation strategies. The findings suggest that the development of emotion regulation should be studied in an emotion-specific manner, as a perspective solely on general emotion regulation either under- or overestimates existing emotion-specific developmental changes.

scholarly journals Examining the role of cognitive bias in emotion regulation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Usyatynsky
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Interpretation Bias ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategies ◽  
Positive Group ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategy ◽  
Regulation Strategies

Individuals experiencing depressive symptoms interpret ambiguous situations negatively and use helpful emotion regulation strategies less often than those without symptoms. Theory suggests these strategies are used less due to interference from negatively biased interpretations. This study examined whether interpretation bias interferes with emotion regulation by experimentally manipulating interpretations in a positive or negative direction. Method: Undergraduate students were randomly assigned to positive and negative bias training groups. Interpretation bias and emotion regulation questionnaires were completed before and after training. Results: The training succeeded in inducing bias change only for the positive group, and emotion regulation strategy use did not change in either group. Discussion: Interpretation bias was not found to affect emotion regulation. Possible explanations include: bias change in the positive group was not large enough to alter emotion regulation; the task eliciting emotion regulation was ill-suited for this study; and interpretation bias and emotion regulation are unrelated.

Emotion Regulation Choice in Internet Addiction: Less Reappraisal, Lower Frontal Alpha Asymmetry

2021 ◽  
pp. 155005942110564
Author(s):  
Xinyu Yan ◽  
Wei Gao ◽  
Jiemin Yang ◽  
Jiajin Yuan
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Internet Addiction ◽  
Emotional Intensity ◽  
Alpha Asymmetry ◽  
Difficulties In Emotion Regulation ◽  
Frontal Alpha Asymmetry ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategy ◽  
Regulation Strategies ◽  
Neural Marker

Individuals with internet addiction (IA) show difficulties in emotion regulation. However, they could effectively employ emotion regulation strategies when instructed. We speculate that this discrepancy might be caused by maladaptive emotion regulation choices. Recent studies indicated that decreased activity of the left frontal cortex could be a neural marker of reappraisal use. To address this problem, individuals with IA ( n = 17, IA group) and healthy individuals ( n = 23, healthy control [HC] group) were required to choose an emotion regulation strategy between reappraisal and distraction to regulate their emotions varying in emotional intensity and valence. We also compared the resting state frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) of these 2 groups. The results replicated more choices of reappraisal in low- versus high-intensity emotional contexts across groups. More importantly, the IA group chose reappraisal less frequently compared with the HC group, irrespective of emotional intensity. Furthermore, we found individuals with IA have lower FAA than healthy controls, and FAA shows a positive correlation with the use of reappraisal. These findings suggest that IA alters individuals’ patterns of emotion regulation choice and impairs frontal activities, causing difficulties in emotion regulation.

scholarly journals Maternal emotion regulation strategies, internalizing problems and infant negative affect

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 ◽  
pp. 59-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin S. Edwards ◽  
Jacob B. Holzman ◽  
Nicole M. Burt ◽  
Helena J.V. Rutherford ◽  
Linda C. Mayes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Internalizing Problems ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategies ◽  
Regulation Strategies

scholarly journals Emotion Regulation Regulates More Than Emotion

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Gilbert ◽  
Susan Mineka ◽  
Richard E. Zinbarg ◽  
Michelle G. Craske ◽  
Emma K. Adam
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Emotional Expression ◽  
Internalizing Disorders ◽  
Cortisol Reactivity ◽  
History Of ◽  
Support Seeking ◽  
Regulation Strategies ◽  
Hpa Axis Functioning

Maladaptive emotion regulation and dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning are characteristic of depression and anxiety. However, little research examines whether and how emotion regulation affects HPA axis functioning. We utilized an experience sampling methodology to examine associations between three emotion regulation strategies (problem solving, disengagement, and emotional expression/support seeking) and diurnal cortisol rhythms and reactivity in everyday life. Participants were young adults with current, past, or no history of internalizing disorders (depression or anxiety; N = 182). Across participants, problem solving was associated with an elevated cortisol awakening response (CAR), whereas disengagement was associated with a steeper cortisol slope. Only for individuals with internalizing disorders was momentary problem solving and emotional expression/support seeking associated with higher cortisol reactivity and emotional expression/support seeking associated with a flatter diurnal slope and blunted CAR. Results provide insight into associations between emotion regulation and day-to-day HPA axis functioning.

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