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Interactions between emotion regulation strategies and affective style: Implications for trait anxiety versus depressed mood

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Abstract

Affective style reflecting approach and inhibition is thought to be associated in distinct ways with anxious versus depressed mood; relatively few studies, however, consider how the interaction between affective style and the strategies individuals use to regulate mood and emotion might influence these associations. Sixty-seven non-disordered adults self-reported on their use of two emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression), behavioral approach (BAS) and behavioral inhibition sensitivity (BIS) dimensions of affective style, and anxious and depressed mood (trait anxiety and symptoms of depression). Trait anxiety versus depressed mood was associated with unique interactive patterns of emotion regulation and affective style: enhanced use of reappraisal was linked to less depressed mood in those reporting low BAS, whereas high suppression was linked to greater trait anxiety in those reporting low BIS. The implications of findings for typical emotional processes and for clinical disorders and interventions are discussed.

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Acknowledgement

I would like to thank Gerard Bruder for his feedback on earlier versions of this manuscript. This research was supported by NIH grants 5K01 MH075764-02 and 5S06GM060654-04.

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  1. Hunter College, The City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA

    Tracy A. Dennis

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Dennis, T.A. Interactions between emotion regulation strategies and affective style: Implications for trait anxiety versus depressed mood. Motiv Emot 31, 200–207 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-007-9069-6

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