Reappraisal has attracted attention as one of the effective emotion regulation strategies. In recent years, it has been suggested that reappraisal has some subtypes. However, the effects of the subtypes on affect have not yet been investigated in detail. In the current study, we focused on "positive reappraisal" and "putting into perspective" as reappraisal subtypes. The purpose of this study was to experimentally investigate the effects of the two subtypes on affect. Participants were 107 undergraduate and graduate students (57 males and 50 females) from a Japanese university. They were randomly assigned to one of two conditions (positive reappraisal or putting into perspective). They completed a questionnaire to evaluate three types of affect at baseline, after a stress induction task, and after a reappraisal task. A t-test was conducted of the change score of each type of affect during the reappraisal task. The positive reappraisal group showed more of an increase in active positive affect and more of a decrease in depression and anxiety compared with the putting into perspective group. The result for non-active positive affect was not significant. In conclusion, positive reappraisal was a more effective strategy for emotion regulation than putting into perspective. The findings also indicate that putting into perspective was as effective for increasing non-active positive affect as positive reappraisal.
Self-focused attention is a primary risk factor for depression in adolescents. Previous studies have suggested that sustained self-focus ultimately leads to depression. However, in recent years, it has been suggested that focusing on all aspects of the self, both positive and negative, has a positive effect on mental health. Hence, in this study, we aimed to explore adaptive self-focusing and examined the effects on mood following manipulation of the self-aspect (i.e., both positive and negative aspects of self, only positive, and only negative). Eighty-eight Japanese undergraduate and graduate students participated in the experiment. Results suggest that focusing on both positive and negative aspects of the self does not amplify depressed mood. Furthermore, this type of self-focus also does not decrease positive mood, and exhibits the same adaptive effects on mood as focusing only on positive aspects of the self.
A psychoeducation prog ram for enhancing adaptive self-focus am ong underg raduates in a larg er class Rie T abuchi and Meg um i Oikawa (T okyo Gakug ei University) Key Words:self-focus, psychoeducation, adolescents
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