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Beliefs about the ability to control specific emotions

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Abstract

People hold divergent beliefs regarding the controllability of their emotions. These beliefs can refer to emotion, in general, or to a particular emotion. But are beliefs about particular emotions distinct and emotion-specific or do they capture one general construct? To address this question, in this investigation, we tested the emotion-specificity of such beliefs. In Study 1 (N = 244), we assessed beliefs about the ability to control sadness, anger, and disgust, cross-sectionally. Beliefs about the ability to control specific emotions were associated but psychometrically distinct. As expected, beliefs about the ability to control a specific emotion were largely associated with experiences of that emotion at both the trait and state levels, although there was some overlap. In Study 2 (N = 157), we tested beliefs about the ability to control sadness and irritation in daily life, over 7 daily diaries. As expected, beliefs about the ability to control a specific emotion were associated with the respective trait emotion, and prospectively and differentially predicted experiences of that emotion in daily life. These findings demonstrate that although there is some commonality across them, beliefs about the ability to control particular emotions are emotion-specific. Accordingly, to better understand the experience and regulation of specific emotions, it may be useful to assess beliefs about the controllability of those emotions, in particular.

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Data availability

All the data reported in the present manuscript, as well as the Supplemental Materials, are publicly available via Open Science Framework, and can be accessed now at: https://osf.io/4fk63/?view_only=8c387424ca4e460ba5aff88685721f99.

Notes

  1. All the data reported in the present manuscript, as well as the Supplemental Materials, are publicly available via Open Science Framework, and can be accessed at: https://osf.io/4fk63/?view_only=932b3ecd5299483cb9dbd58ba5dd9979.

  2. Data in all studies were collected as part of larger studies designed to answer multiple research questions (see descriptions in Supplemental Materials). We only report variables relevant to this project.

  3. As another proxy for trait sadness, we also measured neuroticism. Analyses with neuroticism are reported in the Supplementary Materials.

  4. We repeated these analyses using only the sadness item. Results remained unchanged, such that beliefs about the ability to control sadness were associated with state sadness (Estimate [SE] =  − 0.22 [0.08], 95% CI [− 0.37 to − 0.07], p = .004), and with trait sadness (Estimate [SE] =  − 0.27 [0.06], 95% CI [− 0.39 to − 0.16], p < .001).

  5. Due to the low reliability of the state disgust scale, we repeated this analysis using only the disgust item. Results remained unchanged, such that beliefs about the ability to control disgust were not associated with state disgust [Estimate (SE) =  − 0.08 [0.05], 95% CI [− 0.18 to 0.03], p = .151).

  6. The 9-day study included a pre-diary assessment, 7 days of diaries, and a post-diary assessment. Of the original 166 participants, 70.5% completed all 9 days, 7.8% completed 8 days, 6.6% completed 7 days, 5.4% completed 6 days, and 4.2% completed 5 days. Nine participants (5.4%) completed 4 days or less, and thus were excluded from the analyses. Participants completed on average 8.16 surveys (SD = 1.58).

  7. We repeated these analyses using only the sadness item. Results remained unchanged, such that beliefs about the ability to control sadness were associated with state sadness [Estimate (SE) =  − 7.41 (1.02), 95% CI (− 9.41 to − 5.42), p < .001], and with trait sadness [Estimate (SE) =  − 0.26 (0.09), 95% CI (− 0.44 to − 0.09), p = .004].

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Funding

This research was supported by the Artery Chair in Personality Studies Endowed by Goldberg, Geller and Luria (M.T.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91905, Jerusalem, Israel

    Tony Gutentag & Maya Tamir

  2. Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia

    Elise K. Kalokerinos

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  1. Tony Gutentag
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Correspondence to Tony Gutentag.

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Gutentag, T., Kalokerinos, E.K. & Tamir, M. Beliefs about the ability to control specific emotions. Motiv Emot 47, 448–460 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-022-09991-w

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