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The wisdom to know the difference : Strategy-situation fit in emotion regulation in daily life is associated with well-being
Haines, Simon J. Gleeson, John Kuppens, Peter Hollenstein, Tom Ciarrochi, Joseph Labuschagne, Izelle Grace, Caitlin Koval, Peter
Haines, Simon J.
Gleeson, John
Kuppens, Peter
Hollenstein, Tom
Ciarrochi, Joseph
Labuschagne, Izelle
Grace, Caitlin
Koval, Peter
Abstract
The ability to regulate emotions is central to well-being, but healthy emotion regulation may not merely be about using the “right” strategies. According to the strategy-situation-fit hypothesis, emotion-regulation strategies are conducive to well-being only when used in appropriate contexts. This study is the first to test the strategy-situation-fit hypothesis using ecological momentary assessment of cognitive reappraisal—a putatively adaptive strategy. We expected people who used reappraisal more in uncontrollable situations and less in controllable situations to have greater well-being than people with the opposite pattern of reappraisal use. Healthy participants (n = 74) completed measures of well-being in the lab and used a smartphone app to report their use of reappraisal and perceived controllability of their environment 10 times a day for 1 week. Results supported the strategy-situation-fit hypothesis. Participants with relatively high well-being used reappraisal more in situations they perceived as lower in controllability and less in situations they perceived as higher in controllability. In contrast, we found little evidence for an association between greater well-being and greater mean use of reappraisal across situations.
Keywords
emotion regulation, well-being, daily life, cognitive reappraisal, controllability, open data
Date
2016
Type
Journal article
Journal
Psychological Science
Book
Volume
27
Issue
12
Page Range
1651-1659
Article Number
ACU Department
School of Behavioural and Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Institute for Positive Psychology and Education
Faculty of Education and Arts
Faculty of Health Sciences
Institute for Positive Psychology and Education
Faculty of Education and Arts
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
Published as green open access
License
File Access
Open
Controlled
Controlled