From Traits to Moments: How Emotion Regulation Repertoires Shape Daily Affective Experiences
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Individuals possess stable repertoires of emotion regulation strategies, but little is known about how these trait-like patterns relate to momentary affective experiences in daily life. In this study, N=113 individuals completed a trait-level emotion regulation questionnaire at baseline and then participated in a 14-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol capturing positive affect, negative affect, stress, and use of five emotion regulation strategies (reappraisal, suppression, distraction, selective attention, situation selection). Repertoires were operationalized in four ways: using three scalar indices that captured quantitative differences in questionnaire derived regulatory patterns and a fourth method relying on typological groupings that captured qualitative differences in repertoire construction. Hierarchical Bayesian modeling revealed broader, more extensive repertoire engagement was associated with lower negative affect and stress in daily life. All repertoire indices showed little conclusive evidence of moderating momentary regulation affect linkages. These findings suggest repertoire breadth confers modest affective benefits in daily life.
Institution: Princeton University
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7161775533