Research on emotional schemas: A review of findings and challenges

Abstract

Background In recent years, the field of emotion research has seen a marked increase in theories and studies of emotional schemas—core beliefs about emotions and emotional experiences. This review serves to organise this growing body of literature, particularly as it relates to clinical practice. Methods The review focuses specifically on literature relevant to emotional schema conceptualisation, aetiology and development, and relation to psychoemotional functioning. Pervasive limitations of past research are highlighted and areas needing further empirical attention are identified. Results Growing evidence attests to the potential clinical implications of emotional schemas. However empirical advancement in this area is impeded by limited theoretical and operational integration across research. Conclusions Through strategic research, the field could begin to build a more universal theoretical framework of emotional schemas. This would greatly improve our ability to research, understand, and therapeutically target a construct that may underlie a broad range of psychopathology.

Relationships between emotional schemas, mindfulness, self-compassion and unconditional self-acceptance on the regulation of psychological needs

“…Emotional schemas where associated with symptomatology as expected (confirmation of hypothesis 2). In fact, there is enough literature to support the association between schematic functioning, emotional schemas, and symptomatology (Faustino & Vasco, 2020a;Edwards et al 2016, Edwards & Wupperman, 2018Leahy, 2011;Leahy et al, 2018). Thus, this may also imply that emotional schemas may be another compound of the dysfunctional schematic functioning underlying all psychological disorders.…”

“…Previous research had associated emotional schemas with anxiety, depression, alexithymia, trauma, and difficulties in the socialization processes (Lehay, 2011; Lehay et al, 2018; Edwards, Micek, Monttarella, & Wupperman, 2016 ; Edwards & Wupperman, 2018 ; Palmeira, Pinto-Gouveia, Dinis, & Lourenço, 2011 ). Lehay (2007) also emphasizes the transdiagnostic feature of emotions in the various disorders of the spectrum of anxiety and links it to the emotional regulation coping strategies.…”

Parental burnout and sleep problems in Iranian mothers of primary school‐aged children: Exploring the mediation effect of emotional schemas

“…The 14 dimensions of emotional schemas are: validation (believing others can understand, tolerate and show empathy for one's feelings), rumination (repeatedly refocusing on negative experience, thoughts, and emotions), comprehensibility (feeling confused and helpless about emotions), simplistic views of emotion (having difficulty with mixed feelings), values (believing emotions are natural consequences of the values that direct one's life), control (believing that one needs to do almost anything to control emotions), numbness (feeling detached from reality due to emotional avoidance and insufficient emotional processing), rationality (believing emotions should be eliminated or controlled in order to stay rational in everything), duration (tendency to see negative emotions as permanent or, personality “traits”), consensus (tendency to believe one's emotions are abnormal), guilt (criticizing oneself for having certain emotions and believing one should hide emotions), acceptance (allowing oneself to have certain feelings), expression (believing one can communicate one's feeling to others openly), and blame (believing others are the cause of one's negative feelings). Previous research reveals certain emotional schemas have associations with psychopathologies and can also elicit dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies such as rumination, avoidance, or worry (Edwards & Wupperman, 2019 ; Silberstein et al., 2012 ). Research results show depression is related to emotional schemas of guilt, rumination, and expectation of longer duration (Leahy et al., 2012 ).…”

Do meta-emotion strategies and their effects vary in students between their family home and their university home?

“…fighting against one's emotions) (Mitmansgruber et al 2008). It is recognised that metaemotions are closely related to the clinical field of emotional schemas and meta-cognitive theory, and yet the fields have largely developed independently from one another (Edwards and Wupperman 2019). There is also a potential overlap with transactional theories that focus on explaining the developmental origins of excessive emotional reactivity (Linehan 1987).…”

“…In comparison to those who accept their emotions, persistent use of suppressive or avoidant regulation styles is related to lower life satisfaction (Gross and John 2003;Haga et al 2007) and increased anxiety related symptoms (Campell-Sillis et al 2006;Hofmann et al 2009). However, this simple view of suppression as maladaptive is not supported by crosscultural studies (for a review, see Edwards and Wupperman 2019). For example, in Asian participants, the use of suppression allowed better psychological adjustment to chronic disease (De Ridder et al 2008).…”