Year: 2016
Type: article
Abstract: The present dissertation reports a set of three studies that sought to characterize the effects of self-focused cognition on emotion regulation, specifically, cognitive reappraisal. Across the three studies, I investigated the effects of self-distancing, disengagement of self-focused thought, and changing the content of self-focused thought on multiple measures of emotion regulation success and emotion regulation difficulty. Results broadly suggested that disengaging self-focused cognition provides distinct advantages for emotion regulation, which are independent of effects on emotional reactivity. Specifically, I observed that other-focused cognition resulted in equally successful, but less difficult emotion regulation, the ability to more quickly disengage from self-focused thought was associated with greater emotion regulation success, and a greater tendency towards engaging in self-focused thought was associated with increased emotion regulation difficulty. I discuss the possible mechanisms explaining these effects, their specific implications for the study of emotion regulation, as well as their broader implications for the study of self-regulation.
Author: Ana Maria Draghici
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2709915897