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The Effect of negative emotion on concentration through emotional regulation: mediated moderation of Metacognitive Awareness

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Abstract

Adolescence is a period marked by the highest emotional instability, during which concentration is heavily influenced by emotional state. This study aimed to investigate the mediating effects of emotional regulation on the relationship between negative emotions and concentration and examine whether the former affects the latter through emotional regulation, moderated by metacognitive awareness. Data were collected from 409 high school students using tools for measuring metacognitive awareness, negative emotional state, emotional regulation, and concentration state. The results showed that negative emotions had a significant negative effect on concentration and emotional regulation, while emotional regulation partially mediated the relationship between negative emotions and concentration. This study confirmed that negative emotions negatively affected emotional regulation in individuals with low metacognitive awareness but had little effect on emotional regulation in those with high metacognitive awareness. Moreover, the indirect effect of negative emotions on concentration through emotional regulation was not consistent; such effects were absent in people with high metacognitive awareness and only evident in those with low metacognitive awareness. This suggests that those who are capable of dealing with their moods through metacognitive approaches can better maintain their emotional regulation even when experiencing negative emotions. It also indicates that metacognitive awareness is an effective moderator for lowering negative emotions and increasing concentration in adolescents characterized by an unstable emotional transition.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to ethical restrictions but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Jeong-hwa Lee contributed to the study conception and design, material preparation, data collection, and analysis. Chongnak Son commented and reviewed on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Lee, Jh., Son, C. The Effect of negative emotion on concentration through emotional regulation: mediated moderation of Metacognitive Awareness. J Rat-Emo Cognitive-Behav Ther 41, 663–675 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-022-00473-z

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