Emotion Regulation Choice in Context: A Network Study

Abstract

Research shows that individuals regulate their emotions using various strategies, depending on the specific context. To develop a deeper understanding of regulatory processes, it is crucial to understand which contextual features are related to the emotion regulation strategies individuals choose. This study is the first to investigate the associations between multiple contextual features and emotion regulation strategies in daily life. A dataset comprising 115 participants (Mage = 35.1 years, 50.4% women) was used. Participants completed questionnaires each evening for 7 days. Network and Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) analyses were conducted. We found that some contextual features (e.g., coping potential, emotional valence, presence of others) influenced strategy choice. For instance, problem-solving was more closely tied to greater coping potential (the ability to change the situation) and events that required exerting more effort. We further examined these associations across groups differing in depressive symptom severity (high versus low). In participants with high depressive symptoms, strategies such as rumination were associated with specific contextual features, such as lower coping potential (emotional coping), which was not observed in participants with low depressive symptoms. Interestingly, findings were generally consistent across the network and DTW analyses, suggesting the association among these constructs may be stable over time.