Stress and Emotion Regulation

Abstract

Emotion regulation (ER) can buffer against the negative effects of stress, but little is understood about processes and contextual factors that influence how and under what conditions this stress buffering occurs. We review previous research on ER in relation to stress and psychopathology, and note that a significant gap in prior research is that is has focused almost exclusively on a small number of deliberative ER strategies. We then highlight growing evidence that automatic and habitual forms of ER, characterized by low resource demands and low conscious awareness, have an important influence on the stress response and its link to psychopathology and well-being. We propose the Dynamic Fit Model of Stress and ER, which posits that (1) both deliberative and automatic ER contribute to the link between stress and psychopathology; (2) the fit between stress demands and ER strategy selection can be mapped along the dimensions of automaticity and flexibility; and (3) negative effects of stress on well-being and psychological functioning emerge when there is a poor fit between stress demands and ER. We discuss how the model delineates elements defining a “good fit” or “poor fit” and how the model can be used to articulate an agenda for future research and hypothesis generation.