Search Results (158)

Background/Objectives: Implicit theories of thoughts, emotions, and behavior (TEB) describe beliefs that these attributes are either changeable (growth mindset) or unchangeable (fixed mindset). While the impact of mindsets on negative mental health indicators, such as psychopathological symptoms, is well-documented, their relations with positive indicators such as life satisfaction, particularly in the context of stress, remain underexplored. This study aimed to address this gap by testing whether the association between adolescents’ implicit theories of TEB and life satisfaction is mediated by cognitive reappraisal and whether stressful life events moderated two paths within the mediation model. Methods: Participants were 620 high school students (49.5% female, 43.5% male, 5.8% gender-nonconforming, 1.1% undisclosed) aged 14 to 19 years (M = 17.51, SD = 1.23), who completed an online survey in Spring 2022, while the COVID-19 pandemic still significantly affected daily life. Mediation and moderated mediation models were tested using PROCESS macro in SPSS. Results: Mediation analysis revealed that growth mindset positively influenced life satisfaction both directly and indirectly through cognitive reappraisal. Stressful life events significantly moderated the direct effect of growth mindset on life satisfaction, with the positive direct effect diminishing as stress increased. Conclusions: The positive link between growth mindset and life satisfaction was strongest under lower stress and transmitted through cognitive reappraisal across stress levels. Given the cross-sectional design, findings should be interpreted as correlational, not causal. Future longitudinal research should clarify temporal directionality and reciprocal links among mindset, coping, and well-being to inform interventions that strengthen adaptive beliefs and regulation skills. Full article

Self-compassion is a positive self-related construct important in reducing symptoms of psychological distress and enhancing well-being. Self-compassion can be divided into compassionate self-responding (CSR), the ability to respond with self-kindness, a sense of common humanity, and mindfulness to one’s failures and negative experiences, and reduced uncompassionate self-responding (RUSR) the capacity to reduce self-judgment, isolation, and overidentification with emotional reactions. The current study was a preliminary investigation which examined the relationships of CSR and RUSR with psychological distress and well-being and explored the possible mediating effects on that relationship of emotional regulation via cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. A sample of 201 adults aged 18 to 73 from an Australian university completed an online survey. Structural equation modelling showed that compared to CSR, RUSR was a stronger predictor of psychological distress and eudaimonic well-being and a weaker predictor of hedonic well-being. Moreover, while emotion regulation strategies were found to mediate the relationships of CSR and RUSR with psychological distress and well-being, these relationships differed according to the outcome being predicted. The findings thus offer meaningful theoretical and treatment implications that provide direction for future research. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic was responsible for an unprecedented increase in psychological problems among post-secondary students worldwide. Drawing on data from a repeated cross-sectional (RCS) project, this study investigated changes in psychological symptoms, emotional regulation (cognitive reappraisal and emotional suppression), and academic, social, and personal–emotional college adjustment, and associations between these variables among students in two countries during the phases of lockdown (2021), lifting of restrictions (2022), and the endemic phase (2023). University students in Canada (n = 1014) and Spain (n = 447) completed online surveys during these periods. Students in both countries reported significant declines in perceived COVID-19 stress across the pandemic phases. In comparison with pre-pandemic rates, elevated psychological symptoms remained constant. There were some country differences, but sex differences were consistent. Psychological symptoms mediated the association between cognitive reappraisal and the adjustment measures among Canadian students during each pandemic period. Alternatively, they mediated the linkages of maladaptive emotional suppression with academic, social, and personal–emotional functioning of Spanish students at every phase, but only during the lifting of restrictions and the endemic phase for Canadian students. The results indicate the complexity of country and context in the role of emotional regulation during uncontrollable conditions and provide directions for intervention in stressful situations, including adjustment to university and future disastrous environmental events. Full article

Incidence of NSSI rises during adolescence and peaks in young adulthood. Secondary school and university students, representing these age groups, have been the focus of research on how emotion regulation strategies impact NSSI. However, a comprehensive study of the interrelations among different symptoms is needed. Research based on network analysis, a questionnaire survey on emotion regulation strategies and NSSI was conducted with 378 secondary school students and 593 first-year university students, all of whom reported a history of engagement in NSSI. The results indicated that Cognitive reappraisal symptoms showed a positive or no correlation with NSSI, while expressive suppression symptoms demonstrated a negative or no correlation. Secondary school and university students using cognitive reappraisal or expressive suppression also tended to use the other type of emotion regulation strategy simultaneously. In secondary school NSSI groups, core symptoms were linked to cognitive reappraisal, while in university groups, they were linked to expressive suppression. Intervention targets for NSSI in secondary school students included “I keep my emotions to myself”, and for university students, “I control my emotions by not expressing them.” Research reveals a complex mechanism underlying the link between NSSI and emotion regulation strategies in university and secondary school students, offering valuable insights for promoting the psychological health of adolescents and youths. Full article

Background/Objectives: Anxiety and depression are prevalent global health concerns, especially prominent in vulnerable groups such as older adults, individuals with chronic health conditions (e.g., neurodegeneration and cancer), and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Digital interventions, including computerized cognitive training (CCT), show promise in addressing emotional dysfunctions in a more accessible and cost-effective manner. The CREATE platform aims to enhance Emotion Regulation (ER) through targeted Working Memory (WM) training, aesthetic engagement, and creativity, while accounting for dopamine activity via spontaneous Eye Blink Rate (sEBR). The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the platform’s feasibility and validity through a single pilot trial. Methods: The study enrolled twenty-seven healthy adults (aged 21–44) who completed standardized self-report questionnaires on sleep quality and ER. They were also enrolled in sEBR recordings and performed a CCT-adapted Corsi block-tapping task and an aesthetic art evaluation. Affective textual narratives and valence/arousal ratings were also collected. Participants were divided into “Good Sleepers” and “Poor Sleepers”. The platform evaluation enrolled a multi-modal pipeline including correlations and regression analysis of intervention metrics, sentiment analysis, and group comparisons. Results: WM task performance correlated positively with global ER and Cognitive Reappraisal scores. Post-training sEBR was significantly associated with ER, and lower sleep efficiency negatively impacted changes in dopamine activity (sEBR Diff). Dopamine activity of “Good Sleepers”, as indicated by sEBR, reached the high levels of the “Poor Sleepers” group after the training, suggesting a dopamine boost caused by the CREATE platform for those with quality sleep. Creativity and emotional expression, as indicated by sentiment analysis, were related to sleep quality. Conclusions: The CREATE platform shows promise in enhancing ER through multi-modal digital engagement, integrating cognitive training, art, and creativity. The findings support the inclusion of sleep and dopamine markers in intervention evaluation. Further studies with larger samples and clinical cohorts are warranted to establish efficacy and generalizability, as the present one was not powered to test the effectiveness of our training platform but was designed to assess its feasibility and validity instead. Full article

This study examined the differences in the levels of and relations between achievement emotions, emotion regulation and English performance between Chinese middle school and university students. The participants were 347 8th graders and 460 s-year university students in Xi’an, Northwestern China, who, respectively, took an English test and answered questionnaires on achievement emotions, emotion regulation and background information. Correlational and regression analyses of the test scores and survey data revealed four major findings. (1) Most middle school and university students experienced medium to high positive emotions but low negative emotions and reported a low to medium use of emotion regulation. Yet, middle school students had significantly lower levels of anger and boredom, worse English performance and greater overall emotion regulation than university students did. (2) Middle school students had greater predictive power of both positive and negative emotions on English performance. (3) University students had greater predictive power of emotion regulation on the emotions. (4) Both middle school and university students’ cognitive reappraisal powerfully positively predicted their English performance, and middle school students’ expressive suppression strongly negatively predicted the latter. Hence, suggestions for second/foreign language instructors and learners are discussed. Full article

Background/Objectives: While the benefits of mindfulness are well-documented, limited research has examined its specific impact on achievement emotions, emotion regulation, and empathy among nursing students. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a mindfulness-based class on mindfulness, achievement emotions, emotion regulation, and empathy in nursing students. Methods: A one-group, pretest–posttest design was employed. The participants were 93 second-year nursing students enrolled in a 15-week mindfulness-based class at a university in South Korea during the second semester of 2024. Self-reported measures of mindfulness, achievement emotions, emotion regulation, and empathy were collected at the beginning and end of the semester. Paired t-tests were conducted to compare the differences in study variables before and after the course. Results: The mindfulness-based class was significantly associated with increases in nursing students’ mindfulness, positive achievement emotions, reappraisal, and empathy, and decreases in negative emotions. Suppression showed no significant change. Conclusions: The findings indicate that mindfulness training can enhance emotional well-being and empathy, contributing to nursing students’ personal and professional growth. This highlights the potential benefits of integrating mindfulness education into nursing curricula to strengthen students’ resilience and improve patient-centered care. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study presents a brief report on the preliminary psychometric properties of a first Polish version of the Parental Assistance with Child Emotion Regulation (PACER) Questionnaire. The PACER measures ten emotion regulation (ER) strategies parents use to assist their children in their ER. We aimed to examine PACER’s internal consistency reliability, convergent, divergent and discriminant validity. Methods: The sample included 74 Polish-speaking parents aged from 27 to 50, recruited in 2025. Along with the PACER, we used a robust set of psychometric tools for measuring parental burnout, anxiety and depression symptoms, somatic complaints, well-being, and beliefs about emotions. Results: All PACER subscale scores demonstrated good-to-excellent internal consistency reliability (i.e., Cronbach’s alpha of ≥0.83). Encouraging adaptive strategies (e.g., reappraisal) in one’s children was associated with better outcomes (e.g., lower parental burnout and psychopathology symptoms), whereas maladaptive strategies (e.g., avoidance) were associated with worse outcomes. We also demonstrated that PACER strategy scores were statistically separable from maladaptive beliefs about emotions, indicating good discriminant validity. Conclusions: Overall, the Polish PACER demonstrated promising psychometric properties and strong clinical relevance. These findings can help to inform interventions targeted at improving parents’ capacity to help their children regulate emotions, which in turn may help to prevent parental burnout. Full article

As the influence of indoor environments on human emotional regulation and cognitive function becomes increasingly critical in modern society, there is a growing need for intelligent lighting systems that dynamically respond to users’ emotional states. While previous studies have investigated either illuminance or color in isolation, this study concentrates on quantitatively analyzing the interaction of these two key elements on human emotion and cognitive control capabilities. Utilizing electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG) signals, we measured participants’ physiological responses and subjective emotional assessments in 18 unique lighting conditions, combining six colors and three levels of illuminance. The results confirmed that the interaction between light color and illuminance significantly affects physiological indicators related to emotion regulation. Notably, low-illuminance purple lighting was found to promote positive emotions and inhibit negative ones by increasing frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) and gamma wave activity. Conversely, low-illuminance environments generally diminished cognitive reappraisal and negative emotion inhibition capabilities. Furthermore, a random forest model integrating time-series data from EEG and ECG predicted emotional valence and arousal with accuracies of 87% and 79%, respectively, demonstrating the validity of multi-modal physiological signal-based emotion prediction. This study provides empirical data and a theoretical foundation for the development of human-centered, emotion-adaptive lighting systems by presenting a quantitative causal model linking lighting, physiological responses, and emotion. These findings also provide a biomimetic perspective by linking lighting-induced physiological responses with emotion regulation, offering a foundation for the development of adaptive lighting systems that emulate natural light–human interactions. Full article

Learning and understanding of art are increasingly understood as dynamic processes in which emotion and cognition unfold over time. However, classroom-based evidence on how structured temporal intervals and guided prompts reshape students’ emotional experience remains limited. This study addresses these gaps by quantitatively examining changes in emotion over time in a higher education institution. Employing a comparative experimental design, third-year undergraduate art students participated in two structured courses, where emotional responses were captured using an emotion recognition approach (facial expression and self-reported text) during two sessions: initial impression and delayed impression (three days later). The findings reveal a high consistency in dominant facial expressions and substantial agreement in self-reported emotions across both settings. However, the delayed impression elicited greater emotional diversity and intensity, reflecting deeper cognitive engagement and emotional processing over time. These results reveal a longitudinal trajectory of emotion influenced by guided reflective re-view over time. Emotional dynamics extend medium theory by embedding temporal and affective dimensions into TBMA course settings. This study proposes an ethically grounded and technically feasible framework for emotion recognition that supports reflective learning rather than mere measurement. Together, these contributions redefine TBMA education as a temporal and emotional ecosystem and provide an empirical foundation for future research on how emotion fosters understanding, interest, and appreciation in higher media art education. Full article

Negative social feedback can cause social pain and may damage physical and mental health. In particular, negative social feedback from acquaintances deeply activates the social pain brain network between the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), the anterior insula, and the amygdala, inducing stronger emotional responses and memories. This study used a social appraisal paradigm to investigate the potential benefits of emotional regulation in the face of negative social feedback from acquaintances, as measured by emotional responses and memories. The results showed that negative social feedback sent by acquaintances induced stronger emotional experiences and deeper negative memories than those sent by strangers. Cognitive reappraisal and distraction could reduce the negative emotions induced by negative social feedback sent by acquaintances; however, they did not affect the forgetting of memories of negative social feedback. Further analyses revealed that the emotion regulation strategy was more effective in alleviating negative emotions in the group with self-reported low-depressive symptoms compared to the group with self-reported high-depressive symptoms. Thus, the study suggests that the effectiveness of emotional regulation strategies varies across different relational contexts. Full article

Eating Disorders (EDs) are more prevalent among athletes due to performance pressure and body ideals. Emotional regulation is a key factor in ED. This study aimed to (1) examine the reliability and structural validity of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA) in adolescent Mexican athletes, and (2) analyze associations between emotional regulation strategies (expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal) and ED risk factors (drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, and bulimia). An instrumental, cross-sectional design was employed with 295 Mexican athletes (Mage = 16.85, SD = 3.27). The ERQ-CA demonstrated good psychometric properties, with acceptable reliability (ω > 0.70) and excellent fit for the two-factor model (CFI = 0.995, RMSEA = 0.018). Emotional suppression was positively associated with all ED risk indicators, whereas cognitive reappraisal was negatively associated. These findings highlight that individual differences in emotion regulation are linked to ED risk in adolescent athletes. Monitoring expressive suppression and promoting cognitive reappraisal may serve as supportive strategies for coaches, parents, and mental health professionals, enhancing emotional flexibility and potentially reducing ED risk. Full article

To explore the correlation of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and emotion regulation (ER) in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a total of 108 GAD patients and 115 healthy participants were recruited. The intolerance of uncertainty scale (IUS) was used to evaluate the level of IU. The emotion regulation questionnaire (ERQ) was used to evaluate participants’ preference for emotion regulation strategies. The Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) and generalized anxiety disorder scale (GAD-7) were used to assess the degree of anxiety symptoms. Spearman correlation analysis and linear regression analysis were performed on participants’ scores. The scores of the IUS subscales, ERQ subscales, and HAMA in the GAD group were different from those in healthy controls (HC group) (p ≤ 0.001). IUS subscales were correlated with ERQ subscales, and inhibitory IU was significantly correlated with expression suppression strategies (p < 0.01). The level of IU is correlated with the selection of emotion regulation strategies in patients with GAD. Moderating effect analysis shows that emotion regulation strategies partially moderate the relationship between IU level and anxiety symptoms. This study underscores the critical role of intolerance of uncertainty and emotion regulation in shaping anxiety severity in GAD, highlighting the potential for targeted interventions that address both cognitive and emotional dimensions. Full article

This study explores the integration of simulated environments into first aid training programmes within the field of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences. Grounded in the framework of student-centred teaching methodologies and competency-based education models, the research investigates the impact of simulated environments on students’ Emotional Intelligence (EI). The study hypothesizes that positive stress coping styles and good educational practices developed in simulated environments are correlated with higher levels of EI. Methodologically, a descriptive study was conducted, involving participants pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education and Sport Sciences. Measures included the Trait-Mood Scale 24 (TMMS-24) for EI assessment, the Stress Coping Questionnaire (SCQ) for stress evaluation, and the Educational Practices Questionnaire (EPQ) for assessing educational practices. Results revealed significant associations between active learning and higher levels of EI, problem-solving coping styles, and emotional clarity, as well as positive reappraisal coping styles and mood recovery. The study emphasizes the potential of integrating simulated environments into first aid training programmes, offering immersive learning experiences that enhance students’ practical skills and emotional development. Full article

Objectives: Chronic psychological stress among college students increases sensitivity to negative emotional stimuli. Emotion regulation, a critical coping mechanism, draws upon cognitive resources and may impair subsequent cognitive control. Physical exercise has been proposed as an effective intervention to enhance both emotional and cognitive functioning. This study investigated whether a 12-week structured exercise intervention could modulate emotion regulation outcomes and improve cognitive control in college students experiencing high psychological stress. Methods: Forty-seven college students, identified as highly stressed via the Chinese College Students Psychological Stress Scale, were randomly assigned to either an exercise group (n = 25) or a control group (n = 22). The exercise group participated in supervised rope-jumping sessions three times per week for 40 min, following ACSM guidelines, over 12 weeks. Before and after the intervention, participants completed tasks measuring two emotion regulation strategies—expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal—and tasks assessing cognitive control. Results: A significant group × time × strategy interaction emerged for subjective emotional valence: following the intervention, the exercise group reported attenuated negative valence under expressive suppression. For subjective arousal, post-intervention ratings decreased under suppression but increased under reappraisal in the exercise group, suggesting strategy-specific modulation by physical activity. Regarding cognitive control, electrophysiological measures revealed that the P3 component showed a significant interaction: the exercise group exhibited enhanced P3 amplitudes in congruent versus incongruent conditions after the intervention. Moreover, P3 interference scores were significantly reduced post-intervention in the exercise group compared to both its pre-intervention baseline and the control group. Conclusions: A 12-week aerobic exercise intervention enhanced emotion regulation outcomes and improved cognitive control under high psychological stress. These findings underscore the utility of physical exercise as a non-pharmacological approach to bolster cognitive–affective resilience in young adults. Full article