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Regulating anger and sadness: an exploration of discrete emotions in emotion regulation

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Abstract

Do emotion regulation processes vary as a function of discrete emotions? Focusing on anger and sadness, this study examined: (a) the strategies that men and women use to regulate each emotion, (b) the extent to which strategies differ in their use and effectiveness, and (c) the relationship between effective regulation of these emotions and social functioning. One hundred ninety participants described recent situations that evoked anger and sadness and how they regulated each emotion. Emotion regulation attempts for anger and sadness differed to some extent in both use and effectiveness. In addition, effective regulation of each emotion was associated with different aspects of social functioning. Effective anger regulation was associated with constructive conflict resolution style, and effective sadness regulation was associated with positive social relations. The findings suggest that global approaches to studying emotion regulation may be limited and emphasize the importance of moving toward a discrete emotions framework.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge Emily Neff, Jennifer Block-Lerner, Sara Shiffman, Allison Zimmerman, and Elizabeth Mobayed for their contributions to this research; and Geoffrey Cohen, John Bargh, Valerie Purdie-Vaughns, and Douglas Mennin for their advice and comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript.

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  1. Health, Emotion, & Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Yale University, P.O. Box 208205, New Haven, CT, 06520-8205, USA

    Susan E. Rivers, Marc A. Brackett, Nicole A. Katulak & Peter Salovey

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  1. Susan E. Rivers
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Correspondence to Susan E. Rivers.

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Rivers, S.E., Brackett, M.A., Katulak, N.A. et al. Regulating anger and sadness: an exploration of discrete emotions in emotion regulation. J Happiness Stud 8, 393–427 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-006-9017-2

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