The Mediating Role of Implicit and Explicit Emotion Regulation in the Relationship Between Academic Emotions and Approaches to Learning

Abstract

The present study belongs to a new strand of research in learning in higher education focusing on emotions and emotion regulation, including defense mechanisms. The purpose of the study was to investigate the mediating role of implicit and explicit emotion regulation in the relationship between academic emotions and approaches to learning. Participants were composed of 226 undergraduates (40 males and 186 females studying in a social science department). They completed the following questionnaires: Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Student Experience of Emotions Inventory, Defense Style Questionnaire, and Approaches to Learning and Studying Inventory. Both the moderating (interaction) and the mediational (indirect) effects were examined using the PROCESS program. Results failed to indicate the moderating role of emotion regulation in the association between academic emotions and approaches to learning. Instead, results revealed the dominant mediating role of emotion regulation and particularly the role of immature defense style in the relationship between negative emotions and approaches to learning. Moreover, reappraisal and suppression seemed to act as mediators in the relationship between positive and negative emotions with deep and surface approaches, respectively. The results of the study are discussed in the context of the recent literature. Implications for higher-education institutions regarding the role of unconscious cognitive processes are also discussed.

Rethinking Associations between Distal Factors and Learning: Attachment, Approaches to Learning and the Mediating Role of Academic Emotions

“…avoidantly attached individuals usually experience boredom and lack of interest, characteristics of these particular emotions (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2012). Furthermore, our findings are in agreement with previous studies suggesting similar associations between academic emotions and approaches to learning (Rentzios et al, 2019;Trigwell et al, 2012). Indicatively, the positive emotion of enjoyment is correlated with deep and strategic approach, while the negative emotions of anxiety, boredom and hopelessness are positively associated with surface approach.…”

“…Only recently, approaches to learning have been studied along with academic emotions (Rentzios et al, 2019;Trigwell et al, 2012). Students who feel positive emotions during their studies may prompt a deep approach to learning, while those who experience negative emotions during learning may adopt a more surface approach (Trigwell et al, 2012).…”

“…High scores on each subscale reflect students' preference with each approach. The inventory has been translated into the Greek population and used in studies showing good psychometric properties (Karagiannopoulou et al, 2014;Rentzios et al, 2019).…”

The exploration of a ‘model’ for understanding the contribution of emotion regulation to students learning. The role of academic emotions and sense of coherence

“…ER therefore is of particular importance in the educational context where students experience a wide range of emotions that influence not only their learning and retention, but also their well-being (Pekrun & Perry, 2014). To our knowledge, there is scarce evidence of associations between ER and academic emotions in higher education (Rentzios et al, 2019;Webster & Hadwin, 2015). Previous studies indicated such associations.…”

Investigating the Effect of the State, Stability, and Change in Deep Approaches to Learning From Kindergarten to Third Grade: A Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling Indicator-Specific Growth Model Approach

“…Most research related to deep approaches to learning have focused on its relationship to achievement and involved mostly students above the age of six ( Fryer and Vermunt, 2018 ; Khan et al, 2018 ; Rentzios et al, 2019 ; Chan et al, 2021 ; McWatt et al, 2021 ; Piumatti et al, 2021 ). For example, Duff et al (2004) examined the cross-sectional relationship between deep approaches to learning and grade-point average among undergraduate students using a structural equation modeling analysis.…”