The influence of emotion regulation on experiential, expressive, and physiological reactions while experiencing sadness

Abstract

Background: Emotion regulation plays an essential role in health and illness. This study investigates the influence on five different maladaptive (rumination, avoidance, passivity, dysregulation, and expressive suppression) and two adaptive (reappraisal and social support) emotion regulation strategies (ERS) and their associations with alexithymia as well as their influence on experiental, expressive and physiological responses to sadness. Method: Expressive (corrugator und zygomaticus activity) and physiological reactions (measurement of cardiovascular and electrodermal system) of 105 subjects (M age: = 26.8, female = 64) were recorded while evoking sadness using two induction methods (films and music). Emotional experience was assessed by explicit and implicit ratings. Measurement of alexithymia and habitual ERS were taken one week prior to the experiment. Findings: The use of dysfunctional-passive ERS (avoidance, passivity and expressive suppression) was associated with higher alexithymia, less report of negative emotional experience and less arousal, and higher heart rate variability in both sadness induction conditions. Subjects with more dysfunctional-active ERS (rumination and dysregulation) displayed more corrugator activity. Discussion: The parasympathetic reaction to sadness of subjects with dysfunctional-passive strategies could indicate a withdrawal tendency from emotional situations, while reporting fewer emotions could be part of the strategy itself. The more intense negative expression of subjects with dysfunctional-active strategies may be an attempt to communicate their negative emotions without actively requesting for help. The findings help to clarify some underlying mechanisms of maladaptive ERS which have an impact on health and well-being.