Better together: a unified perspective on appraisal and emotion regulation

Abstract

Advances in our understanding of appraisal processes and emotion regulation have been two of the most important contributions of research on cognition and emotion in recent decades. Interestingly, however, progress in these two areas has been less mutually informative than one might expect or desire. To help remedy this situation, we provide an integration of appraisal theory and the process model of emotion regulation by describing parallel, interacting and iterative systems for emotion generation and emotion regulation. Outputs of the emotion generation system are perceived by the emotion regulation system, and emotion regulation strategies then modulate emotion by intervening at specific stages of the emotion generation system, ultimately changing appraisal dimensions. We hope that our unified perspective will encourage and guide future research at the interface of cognition and emotion.

Beyond valence: a meta-analysis of discrete emotions in firm-customer encounters

“…This will allow firms to gain a better understanding of how to manage the customer experience and where there are opportunities to promote specific discrete emotions or when to counter them. In formulating recommendations to manage emotions across the customer journey, we draw inspiration from Yih et al (2019) by considering both emotion generation as well as emotion regulation as a way to influence consumer perceptions and actions.…”

Reappraising Reappraisal

“…A key contribution of the stress and coping literature to reappraisal research is the realization that reappraisal works through appraisal change. However, beyond this broad insight, the literatures on appraisal and reappraisal have drifted apart over the years, creating a chasm that we hope to help bridge (Smith & Kirby, 2011; Yih, Uusberg, Taxer, & Gross, 2019).…”

Cognitive reappraisal during unpleasant picture processing: Subjective self‐report and peripheral physiology

“…One particularly well‐studied antecedent‐focused strategy is cognitive reappraisal, which refers to the attempts to change the appraisal of an environmental situation in order to modify its emotional impact (Gross, ), thus altering the meaning of an emotional situation or engaging in particular beliefs about the situation (Mauss, Cook, Cheng, & Gross, ). Appraising a situation in a different way has been considered as one of the most effective strategies in decreasing the experience of negative emotions (Daros et al, ; Goldin, Morrison, Jazaieri, Heimberg, & Gross, ; Moser, Hajcak, Bukay, & Simons, ; Ochsner, Bunge, Gross, & Gabrieli, ; Ochsner & Gross, ; Yih, Uusberg, Taxer, & Gross, ). Most of the studies interested in cognitive reappraisal have focused primarily on volitional, effortful, and conscious reappraisal strategies by which one reframes the emotional content of an evocative situation.…”

“…about the situation (Mauss, Cook, Cheng, & Gross, 2007). Appraising a situation in a different way has been considered as one of the most effective strategies in decreasing the experience of negative emotions (Daros et al, 2018;Goldin, Morrison, Jazaieri, Heimberg, & Gross, 2017;Moser, Hajcak, Bukay, & Simons, 2006;Ochsner, Bunge, Gross, & Gabrieli, 2002;Ochsner & Gross, 2005;Yih, Uusberg, Taxer, & Gross, 2018). Most of the studies interested in cognitive reappraisal have focused primarily on volitional, effortful, and conscious reappraisal strategies by which one reframes the emotional content of an evocative situation.…”