Reconceptualizing Emotion Regulation

Abstract

Emotion regulation is one of the major foci of study in the fields of emotion and emotional development. This article proposes that to properly study emotion regulation, one must consider not only an intrapersonal view of emotion, but a relational one as well. Defining properties of intrapersonal and relational approaches are spelled out, and implications drawn for how emotion regulation is conceptualized, how studies are designed, how findings are interpreted, and how generalizations are drawn. Most research to date has been conducted from an intrapersonal perspective, and the shortcomings of this approach for understanding emotion regulation are highlighted. The article emphasizes major conceptual and methodological steps required for a fuller description of the process of emotion regulation.

Examination of Adaptive and Maladaptive Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies as Transdiagnostic Processes: Associations With Diverse Psychological Symptoms in College Students

“…Therefore, the role of adaptive emotion regulation strategies requires further study. The selfreport measures used in the present study present limitations and future investigations would benefit from using contextual and multi-method approaches (Aldao, 2012;Campos et al, 2011) that would allow for a more detailed process-based examination of the role of adaptive emotion regulation strategies.…”

“…On the other hand, many of the maladaptive strategies may be more consistently maladaptive across situations . Nevertheless, the use of a maladaptive strategy by a given person in a specific situation may be functional and an adaptive strategy may be dysfunctional (Campos et al, 2011;Gross, 2014). Suppression is an example of this.…”

Relationships and Health: The Critical Role of Affective Science

“…In this way, affective experiences are an important source information (Clore, Gasper, Garvin, 2001), and emotion drives behavior and mobilizes resources to meet adaptive challenges (Frijda, 1986). Second, it is increasingly recognized that affect regulation-that is, the diverse set of behaviors that people engage in to influence their emotional experiences (see Westen, 1994)-occurs most often in a social context (Gross, Richards, & John, 2006) and is itself an inherently social process (Campos, Walle, Dahl, & Main, 2011;Coan & Maresh, 2014;Levenson, Haase, Bloch, Holley, & Seider, 2013;Niven, Totterdel, Holman, 2009;Parkinson, Fischer, & Manstead, 2004;Reeck, Ames, & Ochsner, 2016;Rime, 2007). Indeed, socially situated emotion regulation dynamics are observable in dyads from the cradle to the grade (Bowlby, 1969(Bowlby, /1980Mikulincer & Shaver, 2005;Levenson et al, 2013).…”

“…The TIES model holds that in social contexts, the time-based (i.e., temporal) organization of emotional experience in one person is directly connected to the emotional experience of another person, and the interpersonal nature of emotional processes can be understood as constituting a dynamic system. To be sure, a dynamic systems perspective on close relationships is not new (Gottman, Swanson, & Swanson, 2002;Kelley et al, 1983) but the TIES model emphasizes the social-functional role of emotions within relationship (see Campos et al, 2011;Levenson et al, 2013). Butler (2011), writes, for example, "… we deal with most of our survival problems in the context of close relationships.…”

An exploratory analysis of emotion dynamics between mothers and adolescents during conflict discussions.

“…Studying dynamic aspects of emotion in interpersonal interactions is gaining increased attention as researchers move beyond purely intrapsychic approaches to studying emotion and emphasize the role of mutual influence of social partners' emotions on one another during interpersonal interactions (e.g., Butler, 2015;Campos, Walle, Dahl, & Main, 2011;Netzer, Van Kleef, & Tamir, 2015;Zaki & Williams, 2013). Adolescence is a unique developmental period in which to study emotion dynamics because parent-child relationships undergo transformations that may increase conflict and negative emotions (Laursen & Collins, 2004).…”