Emotion self-regulation

Emotion self-regulation is the ability of an individual to respond appropriately in any given situation, whether it is positive or stressful, and to behave in such a way that is consistent with their values, goals, and ongoing best interest. It also refers to a person's ability to, within reason, manage and modulate emotional responses—such as to calm oneself after (or even before) becoming upset or angry, to raise a low mood, and to express emotion in a healthy and productive way. This topic is a growing and complex field of study in psychological research with many avenues of investigation, including the study of the physical structures in the brain that contribute to an individual's ability to self-regulate and self-regulation's applications in treating psychological issues and mental illness in children and adults.

Background

The study of emotion self-regulation is based on the theory that emotions arise in the human brain and body as a constant, changing and adapting to situations in the surrounding environment. This theory came to the forefront and was accepted in the scientific community in the 1980s. Prior to this, emotions were viewed as disruptive disturbances to reason, which was seen as the superior mental process. Now, scientists recognize that emotions as an adaptation assist in decision-making processes provide the ability to respond quickly to a perceived threat, help with learning, and identify when people's values or goals are not in line with their behavior. In addition, emotions are integral to allowing people to interact successfully with others, beginning in infancy.

From the 1940s through the end of the twentieth century, two researchers studied the topic of emotional self-regulation and laid the groundwork for contemporary views. Magda Arnold began her research in the 1940s. Her appraisal theory is based on the idea that an appraisal of the current situation must be taken first, which then leads to an emotion, followed by an action. Richard Lazarus continued this research, and psychologists still refer to the Lazarus theory, which states that a thought must precede an emotion or physiological response in the body. Lazarus also theorized that an emotional response is a two-stage process. The first stage—the primary emotional response—offers the person's immediate reaction, while the secondary response provides the opportunity for self-regulation. Lazarus argued that the transition between the first and second stages might occur so quickly that many people do not even realize it has happened. The primary response is typically based on a combination of internal and external factors. For example, a highly sensitive person might respond to a situation more quickly and to a greater degree than someone who is less sensitive. However, the type of stimuli that is causing the emotion and the environment the person is in are also significant factors to the primary response.

Overview

Most people are constantly regulating their emotions throughout the day, whether they are consciously aware of it or not. Psychologists largely agree that underlying all the complex emotions a human might experience is one of three specific motivations: approach, avoid, or attack. An approach motivation is often positive—the person experiencing the emotion literally wants to go toward whatever is causing the emotion to gain more of it or to learn more. When the motivation is to avoid, the typical behavior is to try to get away, either by ignoring or physically withdrawing. In attack motivation, the resulting behavior is often an attempt to dominate or cause harm.

Psychologists theorize that focusing on one's values is often an effective method of emotion self-regulation because it clearly highlights where behavior might be misaligned with long-term goals. With this in mind, one goal in this field of research is to help people of all ages, but especially children and teens, develop healthy coping mechanisms and self-regulation skills that are aligned with their values. When an individual does not have the ability to self-regulate emotions, emotional dysregulation can occur. When this happens, the range of normal human emotions begins to feel overwhelming, and this feeling can lead to destructive behaviors such as self-harm, abuse of alcohol or drugs, overeating, isolation, and aggression or violence in an attempt to regulate emotions. Unfortunately, when the overwhelming feeling reoccurs and the destructive behaviors are repeated, a habitual cycle often begins. Therapists will work with individuals struggling with emotional dysregulation to break this cycle and provide productive tools for self-regulation to use in place of harmful behaviors. They will also help the individual learn about self-care and assist them in identifying the initial negative thought that begins the emotional and physiological chain reaction. Scientists have also determined that the act of making choices—even, for example, while shopping—depletes self-control following the decision.

Researchers have found that the ability to regulate emotional reactivity is integral to the way in which an individual responds to a stressful event. In fact, people who possess this skill have been shown to experience fewer negative emotions and more positive emotions than those who do not. Scientists note that the ability to regulate emotions is often concurrent with one's ability to control inhibitions, impulsiveness, and behavioral expressions.

Psychologists often define emotion self-regulation as a process that begins with the determination by an individual that their current emotional state differs from the state in which they wish to be and then taking steps to resolve that difference. The process model of emotional regulation identifies four stages that can be targeted during self-regulation. Researchers have also theorized that regulating emotions gets more difficult as the four stages progress and that early intervention is most effective in regulating emotions. The first stage begins when people recognize that they are in a situation that may foster unwanted emotions. They can then attempt to relocate physically to a different situation (called situation selection). If this is impossible, people may attempt to change the situation in a positive way in the second stage (called situation modification). In the third stage, people may try to divert their attention to something other than the situation that is causing the emotional distress. If all of this fails, people may attempt to change their interpretation of the situation from a negative to a positive in the fourth stage and attempt to regain control of their behavior and physiological response (if necessary) through actions like deep breathing or progressively relaxing the muscles of the body.

The study of emotion self-regulation is a rapidly expanding one, with psychologists and researchers continuing to make advancements and new discoveries with both theoretical and practical applications.

Bibliography

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Gross, James J., and Ross A. Thompson. "Emotion Regulation: Conceptual Foundations." Handbook of Emotion Regulation, 2007, pp. 3–24.

Gross, James J. "Emotion Regulation: Taking Stock and Moving Forward." Emotion, vol. 13, no. 3, 2013, pp. 359–65.

Rolston, Abigail, and Elizabeth Lloyd-Richardson. "What Is Emotional Regulation and How Do We Do It?" Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery, www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu/perch/resources/what-is-emotion-regulationsinfo-brief.pdf. Accessed 5 Nov. 2017.

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Vohs, Kathleen D., and Roy F. Baumeister, editors. Handbook of Self-Regulation, Third Edition: Research, Theory, and Applications. The Guilford Press, 2016.

Vohs, Kathleen D., et al. "Making Choices Impairs Subsequent Self-Control: A Limited-Resource Account of Decision Making, Self-Regulation, and Active Initiative." Motivation Science, 2014, pp. 19–42.