Psychology is a broad subject that involves the study of various mental processes and behaviours. One particular area of psychology which has been widely studied in recent years is the topic of emotion regulation. This term describes an individual’s ability to manage their emotions, reactions, and overall emotional responses. In this literature review, we will examine current research related to emotion regulation in order to gain an understanding of how this process works and its implications for psychological well-being.

A great deal of research has focused on exploring the various components involved in emotion regulation (e.g., cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression). For example, Gross (2015) explored the effects of cognitive reappraisal on negative affective states such as anger or sadness. He found that individuals who used more adaptive coping strategies such as cognitive reappraisal experienced less intense negative emotions than those who employed maladaptive strategies like avoidance or suppression. Similarly, Joormann & Siemer (2014) examined how effective expressive suppression was at decreasing distress in response to aversive stimuli; they found that suppressing one’s emotions reduced distress but also decreased motivation and satisfaction with life overall.