Choosing to Regulate Emotions: Pursuing Emotion Goals in Autonomy-Supportive and Controlling Contexts

Abstract

We applied self-determination theory to emotion regulation and tested the potential effects of autonomy-supportive and controlling contexts on the pursuit of emotion goals. In four experimental studies ( N = 242), participants viewed a fear-eliciting film clip or emotion-eliciting pictures and were prompted to pursue emotion goals with either autonomy-supportive or controlling instructions. Participants in both conditions were equally likely to engage in emotion regulation when directly instructed to do so. However, when they were allowed to spontaneously choose whether to regulate emotions or not, participants in the autonomy-supportive contexts were more likely than those in the controlling ones to independently pursue emotion goals. The latter also engaged in more defensive processing of emotion-eliciting stimuli than the former. These results indicate that people are more likely to pursue emotion goals of their own accord when the context in which they pursue them is autonomy supportive, rather than controlling.

Freedom to feel: A self‐determination theory account of emotion regulation

“…As such, they construe emotion regulation as an instrumental process, motivated by the desire to produce certain benefits (Tamir, 2015). However, if research shows people can engage in emotion regulation even in the absence of contingencies or immediate benefits (e.g., Benita et al, 2019), this supports SDT's assumption that people's emotion regulatory efforts often serve a more general tendency to grow and become themselves. In other words, people can choose to regulate emotions not only because they wish to derive benefits from doing so but because it will support the integrative process.…”

“…Benita et al (2019) recently explored similar questions in the lab context. They exposed participants to emotional stimuli and instructed them to pursue emotion goals using either autonomy‐supportive or controlling instructions.…”

“…Controlling socializing agents use rewards, deadlines, threats, and pressuring language to socialize norms and goals (Deci et al, 1994). Benita et al (2019) found participants in both conditions were equally likely to engage in emotion regulation when directly instructed to do so. However, when allowed to spontaneously choose whether to regulate emotions or not, those in the autonomy‐supportive condition were more likely than those in the controlled one to independently pursue emotion goals.…”

“…Because people who pursue emotion goals for autonomous reasons do not feel controlled by the need to reduce negative emotions, they are likely to be less defensive and, despite experiencing some degree of negative emotions, will recall important parts of the emotional experience and understand their meaning. Benita et al (2019) tested this assumption using Pennebaker and colleagues' word‐category approach (Tausczik & Pennebaker, 2010). Participants instructed to regulate emotion in an autonomy‐supportive manner showed a less defensive processing style than participants instructed in a controlling manner.…”

“…One intriguing line of research is the exploration of emotion goal‐complexes. This research currently relies on lab experiments (Benita et al, 2019). Work is needed in more ecological contexts, such as parent–child relationships.…”