Research shows that cognitive reappraisal is an effective emotion regulation (ER) strategy that often has clear benefits. Yet, surprisingly, recent findings demonstrate that people use cognitive reappraisal less frequently than might be expected (Suri, Whittaker & Gross, 2015). We employ cognitive energetics theory (CET) to explain this puzzling behavior. CET posits that the likelihood of launching any cognitive process is a function of two opposing forces: the driving force (i.e., the motivation to launch the process) and the restraining force (i.e., task difficulty).We thus hypothesized that people choose to use cognitive reappraisal relatively rarely because of the difficulty of implementing it. We also postulated that the decision to reappraise (or not) does not simply depend on stimuli emotional intensity because the latter is associated with both the driving and the restraining forces. In support of our hypotheses, we found that when the images' emotional intensity posed difficulty for reappraisal (i.e. highly intense images) reducing this difficulty by asking participants to merely predict others' (Study 1) or their own choices (Study 2), increased reappraisal choice. Finally, in Study 3, we showed that a relatively easy to implement reappraisal strategy was chosen more often than the more difficult one for high (but not low) intensity images. These findings illustrate the relevance of a CET-based motivational analysis to emotion regulation choice.

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College students are often reluctant to follow U.S. preventive guidelines to lower their risk of COVID-19 infection, despite an increased risk of transmission in college settings. Prior research suggested that college students who perceived greater COVID-19 severity and susceptibility (i.e., COVID-19 threat) were more likely to engage in COVID-19 preventive behaviors, yet there is limited research examining whether perceived COVID-19 threat, perceived U.S. healthcare system inequities, and personal experiences of healthcare discrimination collectively influence college students’ COVID-19 preventive behaviors. This study identified latent classes of perceived COVID-19 threat, perceived U.S. healthcare system inequities, and personal experiences of healthcare discrimination, examined whether latent classes were associated with COVID-19 preventive behavioral intentions, and assessed whether latent class membership varied across racial/ethnic groups.Students from the University of Maryland, College Park (N = 432) completed the Weighing Factors in COVID-19 Health Decisions survey (December 2020-December 2021). Latent class analysis identified latent classes based on perceived COVID-19 threat, perceived U.S. healthcare system inequities, and personal experiences of healthcare discrimination. Regression analyses examined associations between the latent classes and COVID-19 preventive behavioral intentions (i.e., social distancing, mask-wearing, COVID-19 vaccination) and whether latent class membership varied across racial/ethnic groups.Students in Latent Class 1 (27.3% of the sample) had high perceived COVID-19 threat and U.S. healthcare system inequities and medium probability of experiencing personal healthcare discrimination. Students in Latent Class 1 had higher social distancing, mask-wearing, and vaccination intentions compared to other latent classes. Compared to Latent Class 4 (reference group), students in Latent Class 1 had higher odds of identifying as Hispanic or Latino, Non-Hispanic Asian, Non-Hispanic Black or African American, and Non-Hispanic Multiracial versus Non-Hispanic White.Latent classes of higher perceived COVID-19 threat, perceived U.S. healthcare system inequities, and personal experiences of healthcare discrimination were associated with higher COVID-19 preventive behavioral intentions and latent class membership varied across racial/ethnic groups. Interventions should emphasize the importance of COVID-19 preventive behaviors among students who perceive lower COVID-19 threat.

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