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Age Differences in Beliefs About Emotion Regulation Strategies
- Source :
- J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci
- Publication Year :
- 2018
- Publisher :
- Oxford University Press (OUP), 2018.
-
Abstract
- Objectives Age shifts in emotion regulation may be rooted in beliefs about different strategies. We test whether there are age differences in the beliefs people hold about specific emotion regulation strategies derived from the process model of emotion regulation and whether profiles of emotion beliefs vary by age. Method An adult life-span sample (N = 557) sorted 13 emotion regulation strategies either by (a) how effective the strategies would be or (b) how likely they would be to use them, in 15 negative emotion-eliciting situations. Results Younger adults ranked attentional and cognitive distraction more effective than older adults, and preferred avoidance, distraction, and rumination more (and attentional deployment less) than middle-aged and older adults. Latent profile analysis on preferences identified three distinct strategy profiles: Classically adaptive regulators preferred a variety of strategies; situation modifiers showed strong preferences for changing situations; a small percentage of people preferred avoidance and rumination. Middle-aged and older adults were more likely than younger adults to be classically adaptive regulators (as opposed to situation modifiers or avoiders/ruminators). Discussion These findings provide insight into the reasons people of different ages may select and implement different emotion regulation strategies, which may influence their emotional well-being.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
Adolescent
Social Psychology
Culture
Emotions
The Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences
050105 experimental psychology
Developmental psychology
Young Adult
03 medical and health sciences
Cognition
0302 clinical medicine
Distraction
medicine
Humans
Attention
0501 psychology and cognitive sciences
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Age differences
Cognitive distraction
05 social sciences
Age Factors
Emotional regulation
Middle Aged
Emotional Regulation
Clinical Psychology
Younger adults
Rumination
Female
Geriatrics and Gerontology
medicine.symptom
Psychology
Gerontology
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 17585368 and 10795014
- Volume :
- 75
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- The Journals of Gerontology: Series B
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....718db3d79ff85d9ed57def50f0b2f4bd