Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Emotion Regulation

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences

Synonyms

Affect regulation; Emotional control; Emotional intelligence; Emotion-related self-regulation; Mood regulation; Stress-regulation

Definition

Emotion regulation refers to the conscious or unconscious processes of monitoring, evaluating, modulating, and managing emotional experiences and expression of emotion in terms of intensity, form, and duration of feelings, emotion-related physiological states and behaviors.

Introduction

In order to function in society, in which we are exposed daily to situations in which uncontrolled expression of emotions are not accepted, it is essential to regulate our emotions. Emotion regulation refers to all the processes involved in shaping which emotions one experiences, when emotions are experienced, and how these emotions are experienced and expressed (Gross 2015). In science as well as in day-to-day conversation, the scope of emotion regulation is often limited to suppressing negative emotions (Kashdan et al. 2015). However, emotion regulation...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ahmed, S. P., Bittencourt-Hewitt, A., & Sebastian, C. L. (2015). Neurocognitive bases of emotion regulation development in adolescence. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 15, 11–25. doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2015.07.006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Aldao, A., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Schweizer, S. (2010). Emotion-regulated strategies across psychopathology: A meta-analytic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 30, 217–237. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2009.11.004.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ayer, L., Althoff, R., Ivanova, M., Rettew, D., Waxler, E., Sulman, J., & Hudziak, J. (2009). Child behavior checklist juvenile bipolar disorder (CBCL-JBD) and CBCL posttraumatic stress problems (CBCL-PTSP) scales are measures of a single dysregulatory syndrome. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50, 1291–1300. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2009.02089.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beauchaine, T. P. (2015). Future directions in emotion dysregulation and youth psychopathology. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 44, 875–896. doi:10.1080/15374416.2015.1038827.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beckes, L., & Coan, J. A. (2011). Social baseline theory: The role of social proximity in emotion and economy of action. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5, 976–988. doi:10.1111/j.1751-9004.201.00400.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bloch, L., Moran, E. K., & Kring, A. M. (2009). On the need for conceptual and definitional clarity in emotion regulation research on psychopathology. In A. M. Kring & D. M. Sloan (Eds.), Emotion regulation and psychopathology: A transdiagnostic approach to etiology and treatment (pp. 88–104). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caspi, A., Houts, R. M., Belsky, D. W., Goldman-Mellor, S. J., Harrington, H., Israel, S., et al. (2014). The p factor: One general psychopathology factor in the structure of psychiatric disorders? Clinical Psychological Science, 2, 119–137. doi:10.1177/2167702613497473.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Cassidy, J. (1994). Emotion regulation: Influences of attachment relationships. In N. A. Fox (Ed.), The development of emotion regulation: Biological and behavioral considerations, Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development (pp. 228–249). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cole, P. M., Martin, S. E., & Dennis, T. A. (2004). Emotion regulation as a scientific construct: Methodological challenges and directions for child development research. Child Development, 75, 317–333. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00673.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cole, P. M., Michel, M. K., & O’Donnell Teti, L. (1994). The development of emotion regulation and dysregulation: A clinical perspective. In N. A. Fox (Ed.), The development of emotion regulation: Biological and behavioral considerations, Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development (pp. 73–100). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Compas, B. E., Jaser, S. S., Bettis, A. H., Watson, K. H., Gruhn, M. A., Dunbar, J. P., ⋯ Thigpen, J. C. (2017). Coping, emotion regulation, and psychopathology in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analysis and narrative review. Psychological Bulletin, Advance online publication.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crowell, S. E., Puzia, M. E., & Yaptangco, M. (2015). The ontogeny of chronic distress: Emotion dysregulation across the life span and its implications for psychological and physical health. Current Opinion in Psychology, 3, 91–99. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.03.023.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg, N., Fabes, R. A., Guthrie, I. K., & Reiser, M. (2000). Dispositional emotionality and regulation: Their role in predicting quality of social functioning. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 136–157. doi:10.1037//0022-3514.78.1.136.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg, N., & Spinrad, T. L. (2004). Emotion-related regulation: Sharpening the definition. Child Development, 75, 334–339. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00674.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fox, N. A., & Calkins, S. D. (2003). The development of self-control of emotion: Intrinsic and extrinsic influences. Motivation and Emotion, 27, 7–26. doi:10.1023/A:1023622324898.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gratz, K. L., Weiss, N. H., & Tull, M. T. (2015). Examining emotion regulation as an outcome, mechanism, or target of psychological treatments. Current Opinion in Psychology, 3, 85–90. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.02.010.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Graziano, P. A., Reavis, R. D., Keane, S. P., & Calkins, S. D. (2007). The role of emotion regulation in children’s early academic success. Journal of School Psychology, 45, 3–19. doi:10.1016/j.jsp.2006.09.002.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Gross, J. J. (2015). Emotion regulation: Current status and future prospects. Psychological Inquiry, 26, 1–26. doi:10.1080/1047840X.2014.940781.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gross, J. J., Richards, J. M., & John, O. P. (2006). Emotion regulation in everyday life. In D. K. Snyder, J. Simpson, & J. N. Hughes (Eds.), Emotion regulation in couples and families: Pathways to dysfunction and health (pp. 13–35). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Hawn, S. E., Overstreet, C., Stewart, K. E., & Amstadter, A. B. (2015). Recent advances in the genetics of emotion regulation: A review. Current Opinion in Psychology, 3, 108–116. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2014.12.014.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • John, O. P., & Gross, J. J. (2004). Healthy and unhealthy emotion regulation: Personality processes, individual differences, and life span development. Journal of Personality, 72, 1301–1334. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.2004.00298.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kashdan, T. B., Young, K. C., & Machell, K. A. (2015). Positive emotion regulation: Addressing two myths. Current Opinion in Psychology, 3, 117–121. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2014.12.012.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LeBlanc, S. S., Essau, C. A., & Ollendick, T. H. (2017). Emotion regulation: An introduction. In C. A. Essau, S. S. LeBlanc, & T. H. Ollendick (Eds.), Emotion regulation and psychopathology in children and adolescents (pp. 3–17). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, M. D., & Stieben, J. (2004). Emotion regulation in the brain: Conceptual issues and directions for developmental research. Child Development, 75, 371–376. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00680.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lopes, P. N., Salovey, P., & Côté, S. (2005). Emotion regulation abilities and the quality of social interaction. Emotion, 5, 113–118. doi:10.1037/1528-3542.5.1.113.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Riediger, M., & Klipker, K. (2014). Emotion regulation in adolescence. In J. J. Gross (Ed.), Handbook of emotion regulation (pp. 187–202). New York: The Guildford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothbart, M. K. (2007). Temperament, development, and personality. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16, 207–212. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8721.2007.00505.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roemer, L., Williston, S. K., & Rollins, L. G. (2015). Mindfulness and emotion regulation. Current Opinion in Psychology, 3, 52–57. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.02.006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sims, T., Hogan, C. L., & Carstensen, L. L. (2015). Selectivity as an emotion regulation strategy: Lessons from older adults. Current Opinion in Psychology, 3, 80–84. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.02.012.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, R. A. (1994). Emotion regulation: A theme in search of definition. In N. A. Fox (Ed.), The development of emotion regulation: Biological and behavioral considerations, Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development (pp. 25–52). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, R. A., & Goodman, M. (2010). Development of emotion regulation. More than meets the eye. In A. M. Kring & D. M. Sloan (Eds.), Emotion regulation and psychopathology: A transdiagnostic approach to etiology and treatment (pp. 38–58). New York: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turk Charles, S., & Carstensen, L. L. (2014). Emotion regulation and aging. In J. J. Gross (Ed.), Handbook of emotion regulation (pp. 203–218). New York: The Guildford Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The author thanks T. A. J. van Gestel for reviewing and editing an earlier version of this chapter.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, Mandeville Building, T13-33, 1738, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Rianne Kok

Authors
  1. Rianne Kok
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rianne Kok .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oakland University, Rochester, USA

    Virgil Zeigler-Hill

  2. Oakland University, Rochester, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Patrizia Velotti

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this entry

Cite this entry

Kok, R. (2017). Emotion Regulation. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_811-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_811-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation