On the interpersonal regulation of emotions: Emotional reliance across gender, relationships, and cultures

Abstract

Three studies examine people's willingness to rely on others for emotional support. We propose that emotional reliance (ER) is typically beneficial to well-being. However, due to differing socialization and norms, ER is also expected to differ across gender and cultures. Further, following a self-determination theory perspective, we hypothesize that ER is facilitated by social partners who support one's psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Results from the studies supported the view that ER is generally associated with greater well-being and that it varies significantly across different relationships, cultural groups, and gender. Within-person variations in ER were systematically related to levels of need satisfaction within specific relationships, over and above betweenperson differences. The discussion focuses on the adaptive value and dynamics of ER. ER and Social SupportSocial support is a broad concept that refers to the help and care that others can provide and the effects of that care on coping, health, and psychological well-being. Social support can be manifest in many forms, such as providing information, instrumental help, or Correspondence should be addressed to Richard M. Ryan,

Autonomy and Autonomy Disturbances in Self‐Development and Psychopathology: Research on Motivation, Attachment, and Clinical Process

“…For example, the emotional autonomy scale (Steinberg & Silverberg, 1986), characterized by Ryan and Lynch (1989) as reflecting more detachment than autonomy, fell in the quadrant tapping pressured distance. In contrast, a scale of emotional reliance (Ryan, La Guardia, Solky-Butzel, Chirkov, & Kim, 2005), tapping adolescents' willing reliance on parents, fell in the volitional proximity-seeking quadrant. Van Petegem et al (2013) further showed that the dimension of distance (versus proximity) was positively related to both avoidance and anxiety-based forms of attachment, whereas the dimension of volition (versus pressure) was negatively related to these insecure attachment styles.…”

“…In a more recent study of adult attachments, autonomy support, and emotional reliance, Lynch (2013) collected daily data on autonomy support and security of attachment to predict patterns of emotional reliance-that is, the individual's willingness to turn to another person for emotional support (see Ryan et al, 2005). It has been assumed by attachment theorists that secure attachments would be associated with positive abilities to recruit support from others when distressed (e.g., Belsky, 2002).…”

“…It has been assumed by attachment theorists that secure attachments would be associated with positive abilities to recruit support from others when distressed (e.g., Belsky, 2002). Yet Ryan et al (2005) argued that autonomy support was also particularly crucial in facilitating such emotional reliance, as people are less prone to rely on others who are controlling. Lynch (2013) therefore allowed measures of both attachment security and autonomy to compete at both trait and state levels in predicting emotional reliance.…”

Socio-Cultural Imbalances in AIED Research: Investigations, Implications and Opportunities

“…Furthermore, research has identified cultural variations in educational practices and teachers' beliefs (TALIS 2009), as well as in many other psychological topics of interest for the AIED research community, such as decision making, reasoning, motivation, self-regulation, collaboration, competition, personal values, and various aspects of perception and interpretation (Henrich et al 2010a;Various authors 2010;Purdie and Hattie 1996;Lynch et al 2009;Ryan et al 2005;Hofstede 2008).…”

Relation entre les comportements interpersonnels et la dépression chez des adolescents en fonction du genre /

“…Les résultats de la présente étude vont dans le sens de la théorie de l'autodétermination de Ryan et Deci (2000;2001;Deci & Ryan, 1985;Ryan, La Guardia, Solky-Butzel, Chirkov & Kim, 2005). Selon ces auteurs, un contexte social soutenant les trois besoins psychologiques d'autonomie, de compétence et d'appartenance / implication dans la relation représente des conditions optimales favorisant le développement harmonieux de l'individu et la bonne santé mentale.…”