Emotionsregulation

Emotionsregulation refers to the processes by which individuals influence which emotions they experience, when they experience them, and how these emotions are felt, interpreted, and expressed. It includes automatic, rapid responses as well as deliberate, controlled strategies, operating across cognitive, behavioral, and physiological levels.

Two broad categories are antecedent-focused strategies that modulate emotional responses before they become fully generated, and response-focused strategies that alter emotions after they have been elicited. Common techniques include cognitive reappraisal (reinterpreting a situation to change its meaning), attentional deployment and distraction, problem solving, acceptance and mindfulness, and, in some contexts, expressive suppression.

Development and individual differences shape emotionsregulation. Regulation abilities emerge in early childhood through caregiver interactions and continue to mature through adolescence. Variation arises from temperament, prior stress, cultural norms, and current situational demands. Researchers assess regulation with self-report measures, such as the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, as well as behavioral tasks and physiological indicators.

Neural basis of emotionsregulation involves prefrontal cortex regions (notably dorsolateral and ventromedial areas) and limbic structures like the amygdala, with regulation supported by interactions between cognitive control networks and affective processing. Factors such as sleep, stress, and pharmacological states can influence these neural processes.

Clinical relevance is recognized in mood and anxiety disorders, personality disorders, and other conditions characterized by regulatory difficulties. Therapeutic approaches that target emotion regulation, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions, aim to improve regulatory skills and reduce distress.