Nozaki, Y.（野崎優樹） & Mikolajczak, M. (2022). Effectiveness of extrinsic emotion regulation strategies in text-based online communication. オンラインテキストコミュニケーションにおける他者の情動を調整する方略の有効性 Emotion. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001186
In daily life, others play a key role in helping regulate an individual’s emotions. Such emotion regulation occurs not only in face-to-face communication but also in text-based online communication. To date, much research has examined strategies for alleviating one’s own negative emotions (intrinsic emotion regulation) based on the process model of emotion regulation (Gross, 1998, 2015a). However, little is known about the effectiveness of the full range of strategies for alleviating others’ negative emotions (extrinsic emotion regulation) derived from this model. This research aims to fill this gap. In study 1, participants wrote response letters to bogus pen pals who had recently experienced negative emotional events. Independent coders rated the effectiveness of these response letters in alleviating pen pal’s negative emotions. In study 2, participants communicated with each other on an online forum by posting about distressing events and messages that attempted to alleviate another person’s negative emotions. When participants received a reply to their posts, they rated its effectiveness in alleviating their negative emotions. The results of both studies consistently showed that strategies classified as reappraisal and empathic responding effectively alleviated others’ negative emotions. Moreover, emotional intensity moderated the effectiveness of some extrinsic emotion regulation strategies. Specifically, problem-solving and reappraisal showed positive effects on the alleviation of relatively less intense negative emotions. However, these effects were neither positive nor negative in regulating relatively intense negative emotions. The present study offers novel insights into other-focused emotion regulation research by clarifying similarities and differences between intrinsic and extrinsic emotion regulation.
情動調整において、他者は重要な役割を担っています。本研究では、情動調整のプロセスモデル（Gross, 1998, 2015a）に基づき、他者のネガティブ情動を調整する方略を分類しました。そして、オンラインテキストコミュニケーションにおける各方略の有効性を検討しました。2つの研究で一貫して、情動調整方略のうち「再評価」と「共感的応答」が相手のネガティブ情動を緩和する上で効果的に働くことが示されました。さらに、研究2では、相手のネガティブ情動の強度が、いくつかの情動調整方略の有効性を調整することが示されました。具体的には、「問題解決」と「再評価」は、比較的強度の低いネガティブ情動の緩和に対して正の効果を示すものの、この効果は比較的強いネガティブ情動の調整においては見られませんでした。本研究は、「自己の情動の調整」と「他者の情動の調整」の類似点と相違点を明らかにすることで、情動調整理論の発展に寄与するものです。