Perceived efficiency and use of strategies for emotion regulation

Abstract

A total of 819 students, 208 women and 210 men from Norway and 201 women and 200 men from Brazil, of whom 76.9% were in the 20- to 29-yr. age range, rated the use and efficiency of 14 strategies in regulation of emotion aimed at stopping anger, anxiety, and sadness. The same strategies were rated as most frequently used in both cultures for all three negative emotions. The most used strategies were "talking to somebody" and "saying something to oneself." Used strategies were rated as more efficient than nonused strategies; cultural variation in use of strategy was consistent with the distinction between individualism and collectivism and women's ratings supported prior research on confidence in emotions by showing use of more strategies for anxiety and sadness than men's. Ratings from an outpatient sample of 80 women (M age = 25.5 yr., SD = 4.4) and 80 men (M age = 25.4 yr., SD = 4.1) supported expectations that there would be differences between nonpatients and patients based on diagnostic characteristics of depression and anxiety.