Emotion regulation

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Emotion regulation refers to all processes with which individuals try to influence the type, intensity or duration of emotions in a certain direction. In addition to these efforts, the term also includes the result achieved.

The term leaves open to what extent the regulatory efforts are made consciously or are part of the preconscious (or automated) information processing . It does, however, imply the distinction between

  • a comparatively spontaneous emotional experience which is triggered directly by certain perceptions or by the evaluation of these perceptions and
  • Affective reactions that result from the fact that one's own well-being is also perceived, compared with a desired standard and specifically influenced in the direction of this standard.

In addition to this prototypical use of the term in relation to the regulation of one's own feelings, the term can also refer to the targeted regulation of the feelings of others (for example, when parents comfort their children and explicitly or implicitly impart emotion regulation skills to the children).

Strictly speaking, the term emotion regulation deals with affective states of relatively short duration, the emergence of which can be traced back to a clear trigger (i.e. emotions ). This means that the term must be distinguished from mood regulation , which rather refers to longer-lasting affective states for which a clear trigger is not necessarily recognizable, and from the term affect regulation as a superordinate category, which Includes emotion, mood and stress regulation as well as the regulation of motivational impulses.

Definition of terms

Furthermore, the term must be distinguished from coping as a superordinate term to describe how to deal with challenging situations, which can include undesirable emotions. The term emotion regulation is sometimes used as a synonym for dealing with affective states in general. Such a use of the term results from the fact that

  1. (a) the term feelings in colloquial language rarely distinguishes between subjectively experienced emotions and moods (or other affective states),
  2. (b) Emotions can sometimes last longer and possibly cannot be traced back to a clearly perceptible trigger and
  3. (c) many effective emotion regulation strategies for emotion regulation can be used just as effectively in regulating moods and other affective states.

History of the concept

Attempts to influence one's own feelings (or the feelings of others) in a desired direction are as old as humanity itself. Many salvation teachings contain instructions and recommendations for action that can be understood as methods for improving one's own well-being (e.g. the focus on the here-and-now in Buddhism ). Even in early approaches to psychotherapeutic theory formation, such as the drive theory and the concept of defense mechanisms cited therein by Sigmund Freud and Anna Freud , the explanation of "affect regulation" through these defense mechanisms plays a central role.

The empirical-scientific examination of the concept began in the 1970s, when Izard, Plutchik, Mandler and later Lazarus presented different models for the development of emotions. A focus on the reaction component then took place in the early 1990s, especially in the field of developmental psychology with the work of Nancy Eisenberg and Richard Fabes. In the course of the development of imaging processes ( functional magnetic resonance tomography ), biological correlates for the distinction between more basic processes of emotion genesis (especially amygdala ) and modulating processes (especially prefrontal cortex ) could be identified, which further increased the scientific importance of the concept.

Models of emotion regulation

Process model of emotion regulation according to James J. Gross

James J. Gross suggests classifying the multitude of processes that can be used for emotion regulation depending on their temporal location in the process of emotion regulation. Gross differentiates between the following starting points: 1. Situation selection, 2. Situation modification, 3. Guiding attention, 4. Cognitive reassessment, and 5. Modulation of the emotional reaction.

Gross summarizes categories 1 to 4 under the concept of antecedent-focused emotion regulation and distinguishes this from so-called response-focused emotion regulation strategies (category 5). He differentiates between regulatory efforts that intervene in the process of emotion development (antecedent-focused emotion regulation) and those that start with the emotion that has already been fully developed (response-focused emotion regulation). The assignment of the strategy categories to these two phases is not entirely unproblematic, however, if one takes into account that the creation of emotions is a dynamic process in which parts of the response component (e.g. thoughts evoked by the emotion) are used to maintain the emotion contribute and can therefore be regarded as both antecedents and consequences of emotions. In a number of studies, Gross presents findings that are intended to confirm the assumption that antecedent-focused emotion regulation is more effective than response-focused regulation. Critical need, however, be noted here that in these studies with the suppression (Engl. Suppression ) of emotion (or of emotion expression) a little promising strategy as a representative of the response focused regulation with cognitive revaluation (Engl. Reappraisal), a promising representatives of antecedent-focused strategies. Other strategies, such as self-compassion, are by definition response-focused regulatory mechanisms and have proven to be just as effective in empirical research as cognitive restructuring as a (supposedly) antecedent-focused strategy.

The model of adaptive emotion regulation according to Matthias Berking

Another model of emotion regulation is the model of adaptive emotion regulation according to Matthias Berking . This model (see figure) conceptualizes adaptive emotion regulation as the situation-adapted interplay of different emotion regulation skills.

Adaptive emotion regulation model according to Matthias Berking

In addition to the categories of emotion regulation competencies shown in the figure and their mutual relationships, the model postulates that ultimately only the competences (a) successfully modify emotions and (b) emotions (in the event that they do not or only to a high degree) successfully modify mental health Price can be changed) accept and be able to endure are important. The other competencies are only relevant to mental health to the extent that they facilitate the successful use of modification and acceptance / tolerance.

Developing emotional skills

Many authors see the acquisition of effective emotional skills as an important developmental task. In order to be able to cope with this successfully, children are largely dependent on the support of their primary caregivers. The prerequisite for such support is that (a) the parents' well-being is an important concern and that they (b) mindfully perceive important signals that the child uses to communicate their current state of health and (c) react to them constructively. One of the prerequisites for this is the presence of emotional skills on the part of the caregiver. By reinforcing the focus on positive emotions, parents can then convey that it is important to actively take care of their own well-being. By responding to distress signals in an understanding and supportive manner, the caregiver can convey to the child that they need not be afraid of negative emotions either. Empathetic inquiries about how the child is currently doing and the presentation of the most appropriate suggestions as to how to describe the child's current emotional state enables the child to support the development of semantic representations for initially diffuse states of being. These can help the child to acquire as extensive a knowledge as possible about such states, which can then be used for the constructive handling of emotional states. In addition, parents can help the child through empathetic clarification of the causes of the emotion (“What happened?”, “What do you dislike about it?”, “What would you have wished for?”), A constructive inner model for explaining emotions to develop from which starting points for changing or accepting emotions arise. Building on such clarification, parents can, with active support in changing the circumstances that led to the problem, convey to the child that one can creatively develop and implement ideas that, with a little patience, can reduce unwanted feelings. If it turns out that the feelings cannot be changed, parents can be a role model for their children and show through their own behavior that in such cases one first exhausts all possibilities for change, and then if necessary also with the acceptance of the unsatisfactory ones Situation or the persistent feeling to work and to support yourself benevolently inwardly.

Emotion regulation and mental health

A multitude of theories and empirical findings support the assumption that an adequate handling of emotions plays an important role in mental health. Concepts have now been developed for almost all mental disorders in which important parts of the disorder are conceptualized as dysfunctional attempts to regulate emotions (e.g. binge eating to distract from anger; avoidance behavior to reduce fears in the short term; alcohol consumption to relieve feelings of loneliness alleviate). Empirically, it has been shown that dysfunctional reactions to stressful emotions are more common in people with mental disorders or predict the development of such a disorder. It was also shown that people with a wide variety of disorders use adaptive emotion regulation strategies less frequently with success or that deficits in this area predict the development of health problems. Deficits in emotion regulation can therefore be found in a wide variety of disorders, which is why various researchers in the field plead for the development and application of transdiagnostic interventions to promote emotion regulation.

Measures to promote emotion regulation

Building on theories and findings on the relevance of emotion regulation for mental health, many psychological interventions have been developed in recent years that can help strengthen emotional skills. The dialectical-behavioral therapy developed by Marsha Linehan plays an important role in this process. It was originally developed to treat borderline personality disorder and regards deficits in the area of ​​emotion regulation as a central element of this disorder. The Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) is a short-term therapies (8-20 sessions) and can in working with families even be applied individuals, couples or. Another therapy method that was developed explicitly to strengthen emotion regulation skills is Mennin's Emotion Regulation Therapy. This manual-based intervention is primarily used to treat chronic anxiety and comorbid depression and combines cognitive-behavioral therapy elements with other therapeutic components such as: B. Acceptance, mindfulness and building blocks of dialectical-behavioral therapy. Another approach that is explicitly and exclusively aimed at improving emotion regulation is the training of emotional skills by Berking. This transdiagnostic approach can be used as a stand-alone measure to promote personal growth, to prevent mental illness and to treat mild mental disorders. In the treatment of severe mental disorders, the approach can be used as a supplement to disorder-specific therapies if there is reason to believe that the psychological problems are partly caused by difficulties in regulating emotions.

literature

  • M. Berking: Training of emotional skills. Springer, Heidelberg 2015.
  • M. Berking, B. Whitley: Affect Regulation Training. Springer, New York 2014.
  • B. Egloff: emotion regulation. In: V. Brandstätter, JH Otto (Ed.): Handbook of General Psychology: Motivation and Emotion. Hogrefe, Göttingen 2009, pp. 714–722.
  • B. Egloff: emotion regulation. In: G. Stemmler (Ed.): Encyclopedia of Psychology: Motivation and Emotion. Volume 3: Psychology of Emotion. Hogrefe, Göttingen 2009, pp. 487-526.
  • P. Fonagy, G. Gergely, EL Jurist, M. Target: Affect regulation, mentalization and the development of the self. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 2004.
  • JJ Gross (Ed.): Handbook of Emotion Regulation . Guilford, New York 2007.
  • JJ Gross, OP John: Wise emotion regulation. In: LF Barrett, P. Salovey (Eds.): The wisdom in feeling: Psychological processes in emotional intelligence. Guilford Press, New York 2002, pp. 297-319.
  • AM Kring, DM Sloan: Emotion Regulation and Psychopathology. Guilford Press, New York 2009, ISBN 978-1-60623-450-1 .
  • A. Kullik, F. Petermann: Emotion regulation in childhood. Hogrefe, Göttingen, ISBN 978-3-8017-2434-4 .
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  • RL Leahy, D. Tirch, LA Napolitano: Emotion Regulation in Psychotherapy. Guilford Press, New York 2011, ISBN 978-1-60918-483-4 .
  • DS Mennin, DM Fresco: Emotion regulation as an integrative framework for understanding and treating psychopathology. In: AM Kring, DM Sloan: Emotion Regulation in Psychopathology: A Transdiagnostic Approach to Etiology and Treatment. Guilford, New York 2009, pp. 356-379.
  • KN Ochsner, JJ Gross: Thinking makes it so: a social cognitive neuroscience approach to emotion regulation. In: KD Vohs, RF Baumeister: The handbook of self-regulation . 2004.
  • F. Petermann, S. Wiedebusch: Emotional competence in children. Hogrefe, Göttingen, ISBN 978-3-8017-2710-9 .
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Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c J. J. Gross: The emerging field of emotion regulation: an integrative review. In: Review of General Psychology. 3, 1998, pp. 271-299.
  2. ^ JJ Gross, RA Thompson: Emotion regulation: Conceptual foundations. In: JJ Gross (Ed.): Handbook of emotion regulation. Guilford Press, New York 2007, pp. 3-24.
  3. ↑ a b c d M. Berking: Training of emotional skills. Springer, Heidelberg 2015.
  4. ↑ a b c d e f M. Berking, B. Whitley: Affect Regulation Training. Springer, New York 2014.
  5. ^ RJ Larsen: Toward a science of mood regulation In: Psychological Inquiry. 11, 2000, pp. 129-141.
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  8. ↑ JJ Gross: Emotion Regulation: Conceptual and Empirical Foundations. In: JJ Gross: Handbook of emotion regulation. Guilford Press, New York 2014, pp. 3-20.
  9. ^ S. Weissman, R. Weissman: Meditation, compassion & lovingkindness. An approach to vipassana practice. Weiser, York Beach 1996.
  10. ^ S. Freud: The repression. In: Collected Works. Volume X, 1915.
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  13. ^ R. Plutchik: A general psychoevolutionary theory of emotion. In: R. Plutchik, H. Kellerman (Eds.): Emotion: Theory, research, and experience. Vol. 1: Theories of emotion. Academic Press, New York 1980, pp. 3-31.
  14. ↑ G. Mandler: Mind and Body: Psychology of emotion and stress. Norton, New York 1984.
  15. ^ RS Lazarus: Psychological stress and the coping process. 1966.
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  17. ↑ N. Eisenberg, RA Fabes: Emotion regulation and the development of social competence. In: MS Clark (Ed.): Review of personality and social psychology. Vol 14: Emotion and social behavior. Sage, Beverly Hills, Ca 1992, ISBN 0-8039-4745-3 , pp. 119-150.
  18. ^ JE LeDoux: The emotional brain. Simon & Schuster, New York 1996.
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  22. ↑ M. Berking, C. Poppe, M. Luhmann, P. Wupperman, V. Jaggi, E. Seifritz: Emotion-regulation skills and psychopathology: Is the ability to modify one's negative emotions the ultimate pathway by which all other skills affect symptoms of mental disorders? In: Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry. 43, 2012, pp. 931-937. (IF: 2.50).
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  26. ↑ M. Conway, PA Csank, SL Holm, CK Blake: On assessing individual differences in rumination on sadness. In: Journal of Personality Assessment. 3, 2000, pp. 404-425.
  27. ^ DS Mennin, DM Fresco: Emotion regulation as an integrative framework for understanding and treating psychopathology. In: AM Kring, DM Sloan (Ed.): Emotion regulation and psychopathology: A transdiagnostic approach to etiology and treatment. Guilford Press, New York 2009, pp. 356-379.
  28. ↑ M. Berking, P. Wupperman: Emotion regulation and health: State of the art. In: Current Opinion in Psychiatry. 25 (2), 2012, pp. 128-134. (IF: 3.57).
  29. ↑ E. Heber, D. Lehr, H. Riper, M. Berking: Emotionsregulation: Overview and critical reflection of the current state of research. In: Journal for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy. 43, 2014, pp. 147-162. (IF: 0.79).
  30. ↑ M. Berking, CA Lukas: The Affect Regulation Training (ART): A Transdiagnostic Approach to the Prevention and Treatment of Mental Disorders. In: Current Opinion in Psychology. 3, 2015, pp. 64-69. (IF: not yet published).
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  34. ↑ CE Izard, KA King, CJ Trentacosta, JK Morgan, JP Laurenceau, ES Krauthamer-Ewing et al .: Accelerating the development of emotion competence in head start children: Effects on adaptive and maladaptive behavior. In: Development and Psychopathology. 20 (1), 2008, pp. 369-397.
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  36. ^ MM Linehan: Cognitive behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder. Guilford Press, New York 1993.
  37. ↑ LS Greenberg: Emotion-focused therapy In: Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy. 11, 2004, pp. 3-16.
  38. ^ DS Mennin: Emotion Regulation Therapy: An integrative approach to treatment-resistant anxiety disorders. In: Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy. 36, 2006, pp. 95-105.
  39. ↑ See also C. Suveg, PC Kendall, JS Comer, J. Robin: Emotion-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxious youth: A multiple-baseline evaluation. In: Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy. 36 (2), 2006, pp. 77-85.
  40. ↑ M. Berking, D. Ebert, P. Cuijpers, SG Hofmann: Emotion-regulation skills training enhances the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for major depressive disorder. In: Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. 82, 2013, pp. 234–245. doi: 10.1159 / 000348448 . (IF: 7.23).
  41. ↑ M. Berking, C. Meier, P. Wupperman: Enhancing emotion-regulation skills in police officers - Results of a controlled study. In: Behavior Therapy. 41, 2010, pp. 329-339. (IF: 3.75)