Interpersonal Emotion Regulation: Strategies, Behaviors, and Goals (original) (raw)
Related papers
Revista De Cercetare Si Interventie Sociala, 2022
Although interpersonal emotion regulation (IER) has gained more attention in recent years, few studies focus on IER in romantic relationships. In this study, using a qualitative-quantitative approach, we assessed the most commonly-used IER strategies employed by couples in both positive and negative interactions, and the anticipated self and partner's emotions arising from their utilization. One hundred and ninety-nine couples participated in this research. The participants had to read a vignette that had a positive connotation and imagine they were the main character and write answers to four questions. Then, they had to repeat the process, using the negative connotation vignette. The questions were focused on the assessment of the self-anticipated IER strategies as well as the self and partner's anticipated emotional reactions associated with the self-anticipated IER strategies. The thematic analysis showed that most of the participants described IER strategies that fi t either into the 'cognitive engagement' category or in the 'put own feelings fi rst' category. The most frequently anticipated self and partner's emotions were 'calm', 'joy' or 'sadness'. IER strategies have an eff ect not only on the target but also on the regulator. This aspect can contribute to a better understanding of couple relationships.
Cognitive Therapy and Research, 2016
Despite the popularity of emotion regulation in the contemporary literature, research has almost exclusively focused on only intrapersonal processes, whereas much less attention has been placed in interpersonal emotion regulation processes. In order to encourage research on interpersonal emotion regulation, we present a series of 4 studies to develop the Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (IERQ). The final scale consists of 20 items with 4 factors containing 5 items each. The 4 factors are: Enhancing Positive Affect; Perspective Taking; Soothing; and Social Modeling. The scale shows excellent psychometric characteristics. Implications for future research are discussed.
A classification of controlled interpersonal affect regulation strategies
Emotion; Emotion, 2009
Controlled interpersonal affect regulation refers to the deliberate regulation of someone else's affect. Building on existing research concerning this everyday process, the authors describe the development of a theoretical classification scheme that distinguishes between the types of strategy used to achieve interpersonal affect regulation. To test the theoretical classification, the authors generated a corpus of 378 distinct strategies using self-report questionnaires and diaries completed by student and working samples. Twenty participants then performed a card-sort of the strategies. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to determine how well the theoretical classification represented spontaneous understandings of controlled interpersonal affect regulation. The final classification primarily distinguished between strategies used to improve versus those used to worsen others' affect, and between strategies that engaged the target in a situation or affective state versus relationship-oriented strategies. The classification provides a meaningful basis for organizing existing research and making future conceptual and empirical distinctions.
Perceived effectiveness of emotion regulation strategies in sadness and joy
This study examines the use of 43 emotion regulation strategies in episodes of joy and sadness in self- and interpersonal regulation conditions. After recalling interpersonal experiences of sadness and joy, 324 college students replied to the Questionnaire on emotional intrapersonal and interpersonal regulation (CIRE-43) and to a scale of perceived attainment of adaptive goals as a result of the use of the strategy in the episode (perceived effectiveness). As expected, the participants reported regulation of the positive emotion, but with less frequency than in the case of sadness; similar to former studies, self-regulation was found to be more frequent than interpersonal regulation. The analysis of the correlation pattern between perceived effectiveness and the different strategies shows that participants consider different strategies to be adaptive in the different conditions: depending on the emotion (sadness or joy) and on the target (self-regulation or regulation of the other person). The strategies that imply personal growth were considered to be more adaptive overall. Keywords: self-regulation: interpersonal emotion regulation; joy; sadness
Emotion regulation and romantic partners’ relationship satisfaction
Psihologijske teme, 2021
Studies investigating the effects of emotion regulation on romantic partners’ relationship satisfaction (RS) found that proneness to use cognitive reappraisal exerts positive, whereas expressive suppression negative effects on both one’s own and partner’s satisfaction. However, no studies explored the effects of partner reported use of the two emotion regulation strategies on RS, which might allow the exclusion of method-related explanations of the previous findings and offer new insights into the mechanisms involved. We tested the hypotheses about the effects of reappraisal and suppression on RS on a sample of 205 romantic couples by using round-robin design and actor-partner interdependence modelling (APIM). Although the effects were relatively small, they were still in line with the assumptions that cognitive reappraisal has positive intra- and interpersonal effects on RS, that they can be generalized across self- and partner reports to a certain extent, and that they are somewha...
Background and Objectives Although humans have developed abundant strategies to down regulate their own negative emotions, at times of distress they frequently turn to significant others to seek comfort. In the present study we use a novel performance-based paradigm to evaluate the effectiveness of this interaction. Methods Forty-seven couples in a long-term relationship volunteered to participate in the study. In each couple the two partners were randomly assigned as either target or regulator. The target viewed pictures with negative valance. In response to each picture he/she was then instructed to choose and apply a regulatory strategy (i.e., intrapersonal emotion regulation) or to apply a regulatory strategy chosen by his/her partner, the regulator (i.e., interpersonal emotion regulation). Results We found that the outside perspective of the regulator helped reducing distress more effectively than intrapersonal emotion regulation. Moreover, the cognitive, but not the emotional, empathy of the regulator predicted the added value of interpersonal emotion regulation. Specifically, regulators with a better ability to understand their partners' point of view, selected regulatory strategies that reduced levels of distress more effectively. Limitations While the present study examined possible effects of depression, anxiety and the ability to identify and describe feelings , a larger sample is needed in order to optimally address their potential moderating effect. Conclusions The results illuminate the value of non-professional interventions and the importance of cognitive empathy in reducing distress. The study has significant clinical implications, providing a simple behavioral tool that can be used to decrease and prevent psychopathology.
Interpersonal Emotion Regulation: A Review of Social and Developmental Components
Behaviour Change, 2018
A staple theme in clinical psychology, emotion regulation, or the ability to manage one's emotions, is directly linked with personal wellbeing and the ability to effectively navigate the social world. Until recently, this concept has been limited to a focus on intrapersonal processes, such as suppression. Less emphasis has been placed on developmental, social, and cultural aspects of emotion regulation. We argue here that as social beings, our engagement in emotion regulation may often occur interpersonally, with trusted others helping us to regulate our emotions. This review will highlight recent research on interpersonal emotion regulation processes.
Emotion regulation: Affective, cognitive, and social consequences
Psychophysiology, 2002
One of life's great challenges is successfully regulating emotions. Do some emotion regulation strategies have more to recommend them than others? According to Gross's~1998, Review of General Psychology, 2, 271-299! process model of emotion regulation, strategies that act early in the emotion-generative process should have a different profile of consequences than strategies that act later on. This review focuses on two commonly used strategies for down-regulating emotion. The first, reappraisal, comes early in the emotion-generative process. It consists of changing the way a situation is construed so as to decrease its emotional impact. The second, suppression, comes later in the emotiongenerative process. It consists of inhibiting the outward signs of inner feelings. Experimental and individual-difference studies find reappraisal is often more effective than suppression. Reappraisal decreases emotion experience and behavioral expression, and has no impact on memory. By contrast, suppression decreases behavioral expression, but fails to decrease emotion experience, and actually impairs memory. Suppression also increases physiological responding for suppressors and their social partners. This review concludes with a consideration of five important directions for future research on emotion regulation processes.