Emotion and the modulation of emotion are inherently human processes with which all readers of this entry will have intimate experience. Yet, defining and measuring emotion regulation, particularly in children, is a vastly more complicated task than it may at first seem. This entry introduces some of the key theoretical perspectives that underpin the understanding of emotion regulation, and presents important conceptual and developmental considerations that, together, result in a great diversity of ways in which emotion regulation is defined, conceptualized, and measured. It provides a summary of the four methods of assessing emotion regulation in children, including a discussion of the strengths and limitations of each, and a review of some of the more widely used measures.
Guided by attachment theory of emotion regulation (ER), the current study utilized a person‐centred approach to identify clusters of individuals that differed in their attachment representations and ER, and further examined individual differences in socio‐emotional functioning based on these profiles. Participants included 658 emerging adults (M = 19.9, SD = 2.7, 65.5% female) who completed surveys measuring responses to rejection, friendship closeness, and emotional maladjustment. Five clusters were identified: secure regulated (19%), disorganized unregulated (21%), anxious unregulated (16%), emotive (21%), and avoidant suppressor (22%). Each group displayed unique patterns, with the secure regulated group reporting significantly less withdrawal, retribution, rumination, and emotional maladjustment, and the disorganized unregulated group reporting the poorest functioning across all indicators. Significant cluster × sex effects were also found for friendship closeness. These findings suggest the importance of considering attachment and ER, and implications for attachment theory and development are discussed.
What is already known on this subject?
Insecure attachment representations are a significant risk factor for poorer outcomes across development.
Hyperactivating and deactivating strategies are maladaptive responses to coping with emotional threat.
These strategies are an extension of the internal working model and positive correlates of poorer functioning.
What does this study add?
Previous studies have over‐relied on variable‐centred approaches to replicate findings of attachment theory.
A person‐centred approach allowing for the joint consideration of patterns of both attachment and ER strategies.
The identification of five novel profiles revealing unique differences in three important domains of functioning.
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