Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: Implications for affect, relationships, and well-being.

TLDR

The study examines how individual differences in reappraisal and suppression affect affect, well‑being, and relationships. The authors developed and validated new habitual measures of reappraisal and suppression. Reappraisal is linked to higher positive affect, better interpersonal functioning, and greater well‑being, whereas suppression is associated with lower positive affect, higher negative affect, poorer interpersonal functioning, and lower well‑being.

Abstract

Five studies tested two general hypotheses: Individuals differ in their use of emotion regulation strategies such as reappraisal and suppression, and these individual differences have implications for affect, well-being, and social relationships. Study 1 presents new measures of the habitual use of reappraisal and suppression. Study 2 examines convergent and discriminant validity. Study 3 shows that reappraisers experience and express greater positive emotion and lesser negative emotion, whereas suppressors experience and express lesser positive emotion, yet experience greater negative emotion. Study 4 indicates that using reappraisal is associated with better interpersonal functioning, whereas using suppression is associated with worse interpersonal functioning. Study 5 shows that using reappraisal is related positively to well-being, whereas using suppression is related negatively.