Examining the influence of situational factors on reappraisal efficiency among Turkish adult participants: An exploratory study

Abstract

Background and Purpose Emotion regulation (ER) encompasses the processes we utilize to influence our emotions. Among ER strategies, cognitive reappraisal (CR) is notably effective, as emotions often stem from appraisals of events. Frequent CR use correlates with positive outcomes like reduced negative emotions, stronger social connections, higher academic achievement, enhanced psychological well-being, and fewer psychopathological symptoms. Despite existing research, gaps remain in characterizing different reappraisal instances based on a theoretical framework and predicting their effectiveness across contexts. The reAppraisal Framework distinguishes between two different reappraisal mechanisms to shift appraisal: reconstrual (changing situation interpretation) and repurposing (changing the goal which the interpretation is compared to). Given that reappraisal is not a unified strategy and its effectiveness varies depending on contextual factors such as controllability of the stressor, this study aimed to examine: a) the role of appraisal dimensions in determining the type of emotion experienced (sadness or anxiety), and b) the effectiveness of reconstrual and repurposing in reducing short-term emotions (sadness and anxiety) depending on perceived control (low/high)…