BELIEFS AND EMOTIONS

The Role of Beliefs about Control in Emotion Regulation

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The overarching goal of the proposed research is to identify factors that promote successful emotion regulation. This effort is important because successful emotion regulation (i.e., attempts to increase or decrease emotional experiences) is critical for mental health and well-being. Prior research has highlighted three social-cognitive categories that shape the process of self-regulation: (1) beliefs about control, (2) goals and values, and (3) skills and strategies. In the domain of emotion regulation, considerable attention has been given to skills and strategies. In addition, some of my own work has examined how goals and values impact emotion regulation. The proposed research seeks to bridge the remaining gap by testing the role of beliefs about control in shaping emotion regulation. I propose five studies to test whether beliefs about the controllability of emotion and beliefs about one’s ability to control one’s emotions influence whether people engage in emotion regulation, how much effort they exert, and how successful they are at emotion regulation. Study 1 will assess associations between beliefs about control and successful emotion regulation. Studies 2a and 2b will manipulate beliefs about control and assess their implications for emotion regulation and experience. Studies 3a and 3b will test whether manipulating beliefs about control promotes adaptive coping with stressful life events. I predict that people who believe emotions can be controlled and those who believe they have the ability to control their emotions will try harder to regulate their emotions and experience more adaptive emotions as a result. Support for my predictions would point to future cost-effective interventions that promote successful emotion regulation. By facilitating the reintegration of a successful scientist and enabling her to conduct this promising research, support for the proposed project would greatly contribute to EU excellence and competitiveness.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

The successful regulation of emotion regulation is vital to mental health and well-being. EU-funded research has advanced knowledge on one factor that may promote successful emotion regulation: the belief that emotion regulation is indeed possible.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

For people to try and self-regulate, they must believe that they can control what they want to change. The project 'The role of beliefs about control in emotion regulation' (BELIEFS AND EMOTIONS) tested whether those who believe that emotions are controllable can better regulate their emotions, and thus experience more positive and less negative emotions.

A series of studies was set up to manipulate beliefs regarding whether or not emotions can be controlled. Researchers then tested causal effects on subsequent emotion regulation. Findings indicate that beliefs about the controllability of emotions contribute to more effective emotion regulation.

In a second series of studies, BELIEFS AND EMOTIONS tested whether the ability to use effective regulation strategies leads to more effective emotion regulation, but only in individuals who believe emotions can be controlled. Cognitive reappraisal is an example of an effective regulation strategy.

Study participants were more likely to decrease their negative emotions the more they employed cognitive reappraisal and the more they believed emotions can be controlled. The results from these studies show that people can effectively regulate their emotions if they have the tools to do so (e.g. using cognitive reappraisal) and if they believe emotions can be controlled.

The project then tested beliefs regarding the controllability of emotions in clinically depressed individuals. Rather than instructing the participants to decrease negative emotions, this study let them determine whether they try to decrease or maintain their level of sadness. Depressed individuals were more likely to try and decrease their sadness the more they believed that emotions can be controlled.

Overall, BELIEFS AND EMOTIONS highlighted the role of beliefs regarding controllability of emotions in shaping emotion regulation. The findings have the potential to inform the development of interventions that can facilitate effective regulation of negative emotions. Advances in this area are slated to benefit both healthy and clinical populations.