Emotional regulation is the set of processes by which a person monitors, evaluates and modifies their emotional reactions in order to respond to events in a socially acceptable and flexible way. It is the core of emotional maturity and a key skill of stress management.
Five families of strategies (Gross's model)
The psychologist James Gross described a process model of five groups of strategies: situation selection (approaching or avoiding), situation modification, attentional deployment (distraction or, conversely, rumination), cognitive change (reappraising the meaning) and response modulation (influencing the expression of the emotion itself).
Reappraisal versus suppression
Cognitive reappraisal — rethinking the meaning of an event — is considered adaptive: it lowers the subjective, physiological and neural response and is associated with better well-being.
Expressive suppression — holding back the outward expression while keeping the inner experience — is more often maladaptive and is associated with psychological disorders and worse relationships.
Regulation, stress and health
Disturbances of emotional regulation are closely linked to depression, anxiety disorders, ADHD and addictions. Conversely, mature regulation skills buffer chronic stress and reduce the release of cortisol, easing the load on the cardiovascular and immune systems.
How it changes with age
Contrary to stereotypes, the ability to regulate emotions on average grows toward mature and older age: the reactivity of the autonomic nervous system falls, while the ability to quickly restore calm and hold on to a positive mood strengthens.
Calculate using this marker
Calculators where Emotional regulation is used directly:
Frequently asked questions
Is suppressing emotions bad?
Constantly suppressing outward expression while keeping inner tension is maladaptive and is linked to worse mood and relationships. Reappraisal — rethinking the situation rather than hiding feelings — is more useful.
How do you train emotional regulation?
Mindfulness, naming emotions, breathing techniques and cognitive reappraisal work, as do pre-chosen strategies for avoiding or modifying provoking situations. The skill strengthens with practice.
Related terms
Sources
- Wikipedia — Emotional self-regulation
- American Psychological Association — Stress effects on the body