Cited by 77Emotions and Moral BehaviorNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Emotional regulation strategies in daily life: the intensity of emotions and regulation choice

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Kozubal, Magdalena, Szuster, Anna, Wielgopolan, Adrianna·2023·Frontiers in Psychology

Abstract

Objective: Emotion regulation is an adaptive ability affecting people’s physical and mental health, quality of life and functioning. In the present study we focused on the influence of the intensity of experienced emotions on emotion regulation strategies (ERS) that are applied in everyday life. Methods: For 7 days the participants kept an online diary where every day they described the situation which had aroused their strongest negative emotions. Next, they identified the emotions, their intensity and the type of applied strategies (acceptance vs. reappraisal vs. rumination vs. distraction vs. suppression). The study involved 88 people N= 88, which gives 538 observations. Results: The obtained results indicate that the intensity of emotions affects the choice of regulation strategies. When the intensity increases, people are more likely to choose the rumination strategy and less likely to choose the reappraisal strategy. However, the expected relationship between the intensity and the number of regulation strategies was not confirmed. In turn, it was gender (male) that turned out to be associated with a greater number of strategies used. Conclusion: The concern of this research was to look at making regulatory decisions in personally relevant and complex everyday situations. Although the emotions experienced in response to a difficult situation were varied, the intensity of the emotional experience was an important factor determining the choice of a regulation strategy. It indicates that this emotional dimension is a basic and determining aspect in people’s regulatory capabilities. These results also indicate that perhaps men in a situation perceived as stressful and worthy of emotional involvement use more regulatory strategies than women. These findings may find an application in all kinds of psychological interventions (e.g., psychotherapy, anger management therapies).

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Authors
Kozubal, M., Szuster, A., & Wielgopolan, A.
Affiliations
University of Warsaw (PL)
Corresponding author
  • Kozubal, Magdalena
  • Wielgopolan, Adrianna
Venue
Frontiers in Psychology
Published
2023-08-14
Volume
14
Pages
1218694-1218694
ISSN
1664-1078 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4385809831
Cited by
77
References
84
Citations by year
2026: 37 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 15
FWCI
22.74
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Frontiers in Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
Uniwersytet Warszawski (501‐D125‐01‐1250000)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Keywords
emotion regulation strategies, emotional intensity, rumination, cognitive reappraisal, suppression, distraction, acceptance, daily life emotions, gender differences, negative emotions

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