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Emotion Mindsets and Emotion Regulation Self-Efficacy in Late Adolescence: Moderation by Emotional Functioning and Gender

Fri, April 9, 11:45am to 12:45pm EDT (11:45am to 12:45pm EDT), Virtual

Abstract

According to mindset theory, beliefs about whether emotions are fixed or changeable may contribute to how individuals manage their emotional landscape. Consistent with this idea, having a fixed emotion mindset (FEM) can undermine emotion regulation self-efficacy (ERSE), a person’s confidence in their capability to regulate their emotions. However, the association between emotion mindsets and ERSE may differ based on individual differences in emotional functioning. The purpose of this study was to examine whether individual differences in negative emotionality (heightened susceptibility to experiencing negative emotions; NE) and emotional clarity (EC) deficits (difficulty identifying one’s emotions) moderate the association between FEMs and ERSE; moreover, exploratory analyses examined possible gender differences in these associations.

Participants included 422 late adolescents/emerging adults (M age = 18.52, SD = 0.64; 316 females; 46.9% White, 29.6%, Asian, 6.4%, African-American, 1%, Hispanic, and 2.6% other). Participants completed self-report measures of FEMs (e.g., “How emotional teens are is something that they have no control over”), ERSE (e.g., “I can control my feelings when I am stressed”), NE (e.g., “I stay upset for hours when someone hurts my feelings”), and EC (e.g., “I usually understand my feelings”). Two separate hierarchical linear regressions analyses were conducted with FEM, gender, and either NE or EC deficits in the first step, two-way interactions in the second step, and three-way interactions in the third step. Higher levels of FEMs, NE, and EC deficits were associated with poorer ERSE. In addition, both three-way interactions were significant (Table 1).

As shown in Figure 1a, higher FEMs were significantly associated with less ERSE in males but not females at high levels of NE, and in females but not males at low levels of NE. Slope comparison analysis showed a significant difference in the association between FEMs and ERSE at high versus low levels of NE for males but not females.

As shown in Figure 1b, higher FEMs were significantly associated with less ERSE in both males and females at high levels of EC deficits, and in females but not males at low levels of EC deficits. Slope comparison analysis showed a significant difference in the association between FEMs and ERSE at high versus low levels of EC deficits for males but not females.

Results revealed that individual differences in emotional functioning differentially affected the FEM-ERSE link across gender. For males, higher FEMs were associated with lower ERSE only for those with other aspects of emotional dysfunction (high NE or EC deficits). Thus, higher FEMs may serve as risk factors where males’ emotional functioning is otherwise compromised. In females, higher FEMs were associated with lower ERSE in females with both low and high levels of EC deficits and in those with low NE; females with high NE showed low ERSE regardless of their emotion mindsets. Thus, low FEMs seem to serve as a protective factor overall for females, except for those with high levels of NE. These insights may guide further research and interventions aimed at improving emotional outcomes in late adolescence/emerging adulthood.

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