Strategies and Goals Affect Daily Emotion Regulation
Author Information
Author(s): Martins-Klein Bruna, Chen Ziyuan, Orlovsky Irina, Waite Elinor, Dixon-Gordon Katherine
Primary Institution: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States
Hypothesis
Age differences in the impact of strategies and goals on subjective daily emotion regulation effectiveness have not been previously explored.
Conclusion
Goals and strategies uniquely influence emotion regulation in daily life, but reappraisal use is unrelated to late-life regulatory efficacy.
Supporting Evidence
- Older adults prioritize regulating emotion to maximize positive affect more than completing tasks.
- Hedonic goals are associated with greater reappraisal use.
- Instrumental goals predict suppression use in daily life.
- Age positively affects subjective regulation effectiveness.
- Reappraisal use positively predicts effectiveness.
- Suppression use negatively affects subjective regulation effectiveness.
- Hedonic and instrumental goals positively predict effectiveness even when controlling for strategy and age effects.
Takeaway
As people get older, they focus more on feeling good rather than just getting things done, and this affects how they manage their emotions.
Methodology
Participants completed a 14-day daily diary on emotion regulation goals, reappraisal and suppression use, and subjective emotion regulation effectiveness.
Limitations
The study may not fully capture the complexity of emotion regulation across different age groups.
Participant Demographics
Participants aged 20-72 years old (M = 38.2; SD = 11.4).
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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