Trait Affect, Emotion Regulation, and the Generation of Negative and Positive Interpersonal Events

doi:10.1016/j.beth.2017.01.006

Behavior Therapy

Volume 48, Issue 4, July 2017, Pages 435-447

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2017.01.006 Get rights and content

Highlights

•
Trait negative affect was associated with more brooding and dampening.
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Trait positive affect was associated with more positive rumination.
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Dampening predicted fewer negative and positive interpersonal events.
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Positive rumination predicted greater positive and negative interpersonal events.
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Implications for stress generation and psychopathology are discussed.

Abstract

Positive and negative trait affect and emotion regulatory strategies have received considerable attention in the literature as predictors of psychopathology. However, it remains unclear whether individuals’ trait affect is associated with responses to state positive affect (positive rumination and dampening) or negative affect (ruminative brooding), or whether these affective experiences contribute to negative or positive interpersonal event generation. Among 304 late adolescents, path analyses indicated that individuals with higher trait negative affect utilized dampening and brooding rumination responses, whereas those with higher trait positive affect engaged in rumination on positive affect. Further, there were indirect relationships between trait negative affect and fewer positive and negative interpersonal events via dampening, and between trait positive affect and greater positive and negative interpersonal events via positive rumination. These findings suggest that individuals’ trait negative and positive affect may be associated with increased utilization of emotion regulation strategies for managing these affects, which may contribute to the occurrence of positive and negative events in interpersonal relationships.

Section snippets

negative and positive affect in negative interpersonal events

Despite origins of research on stress generation in depression, little work has evaluated the potential influence of affect on the stress generation process. This is surprising given that trait affective states are often implicated in psychopathology, and specifically in mood and anxiety disorders (Clark and Watson, 1988, Wetter and Hankin, 2009). In particular, individuals with trait negative affect, which refers to the greater propensity to experience more intense and frequent negative

responses to negative and positive affect in negative interpersonal events

Beyond affective experiences, how individuals respond to affect also may influence the onset and maintenance of disorder (Joormann & D’Avantzato, 2010). Given that individuals experience both negative and positive affect, regulatory responses to negative and positive affect may have distinct influences on a person’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships. In particular, individuals’ trait affect may influence what emotion regulatory strategies are employed in response to affect (Arger et

The Current Study

We sought to evaluate the role of affect and emotion regulatory responses within the context of both positive and negative interpersonal event generation. Further, we evaluated whether these relationships were significantly different for males versus females given research demonstrating females’ greater propensity to brood and experience stress generation (Hammen, 2005, Nolen-Hoeksema and Jackson, 2001). We hypothesized that individuals with higher levels of negative affect would be more likely

participants

Adolescents from Philadelphia-area public high schools and colleges (ages 14–19) were selected for participation in a behavioral high-risk study designed to evaluate characteristics of individuals hypothesized to be at high versus low risk for a first onset of bipolar disorder based on Behavioral Approach System (BAS) sensitivity (see Alloy et al., 2012, for full discussion of screening procedures). In brief, participants were selected based on a two-phase screening procedure. During Phase I,

descriptive analyses

Descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations of primary study variables are presented in Table 1. Analyses also were conducted to determine if primary outcome variables were associated with any demographic characteristics (sex, race, SES). There were no sex differences in Time 1 depressive symptoms, positive affect, or responses to positive affect or negative affect. Girls reported significantly greater negative affect (t = 3.08, p < .01) and interpersonal dependent events that were

Discussion

The results of this study implicate trait negative and positive affect as important constructs to assess independently in understanding psychopathology, given their distinct roles in affect regulation and interpersonal event generation. Results indicated that individuals with higher levels of trait negative affect were more likely to utilize dampening as a response style to state positive affect and brooding rumination in response to state negative affect. Importantly, these results were

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

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^☆: Preparation of this manuscript was supported by National Institute of Mental Health National Research Service Awards 1F31MH106184 and 1F31MH099761 to Jessica Hamilton and Jonathan Stange, respectively, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to Taylor A. Burke, and a National Institute of Mental Health Grant MH077908 to Lauren B. Alloy.

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Clinical Replication SeriesTrait Affect, Emotion Regulation, and the Generation of Negative and Positive Interpersonal Events☆

Highlights

Abstract

Section snippets

negative and positive affect in negative interpersonal events

responses to negative and positive affect in negative interpersonal events

The Current Study

participants

descriptive analyses

Discussion

Conflict of Interest Statement

Clinical Psychology Review

Clinical Psychology Review

Clinical Psychology Review

Psychiatry Research

Journal of Affective Disorders

Personality and Individual Differences

Clinical Psychology Review

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Personality and Individual Differences

Personality and Individual Differences

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Personality and Individual Differences

Behavioral approach system and behavioral inhibition system sensitivities: Prospective prediction of bipolar mood episodes

Bipolar Disorders

High behavioral approach system (BAS) sensitivity, reward responsiveness, and goal-striving predict first onset of bipolar spectrum disorders: A prospective behavioral high-risk design

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

Mental & physical health-pathways to depressive symptoms in young adults: Examining affective, self-regulatory, and cognitive vulnerability factors

Psychological Reports

Lack of positive experiences and positive expectancies mediate the relationship between BAS responsiveness and depression

Cognition and Emotion

Regulatory flexibility: An individual differences perspective on coping and emotion regulation

Perspectives on Psychological Science

A functionalist perspective on the nature of emotion

Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development

Behavioral inhibition, behavioral activation, and affective responses to impending reward and punishment: The BIS/BAS scales

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Mood and the mundane: Relations between daily life events and self-reported mood

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Temperament, personality, and the mood and anxiety disorders

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

Expanding stress generation theory: Test of a transdiagnostic model

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

Randomized trial of behavioral activation, cognitive therapy, and antidepressant medication in the acute treatment of adults with major depression

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Responses to positive affect: A self-report measure of rumination and dampening

Cognitive Therapy and Research

Depressive personality styles and bipolar spectrum disorders: Prospective tests of the event congruency hypothesis

Bipolar Disorders

Neural systems, emotion and personality

Clinical Replication Series
Trait Affect, Emotion Regulation, and the Generation of Negative and Positive Interpersonal Events☆