Emotion Regulation Strategies and Stress in Irish College Students and Chinese International College Students in Ireland

Abstract

Little is known about the association between emotion regulation strategies and perceived stress in college students, and in particular, the strategies used by international students. The present research examined if differences exist in the use of emotion regulation strategies between Irish college students and Chinese international college students studying in Ireland, and investigated the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and perceived stress in these two student populations. Chinese students reported more frequent use of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression compared with Irish students. There was a statistically significant negative association between the habitual use of cognitive reappraisal and levels of stress in both Irish and Chinese students. There was a significant positive relationship between the habitual use of expressive suppression and levels of stress in Irish college students, but not in Chinese students. The findings highlight the effects of emotion regulation on levels of stress and the importance of cultural context when investigating the association between emotion regulation strategies and perceived stress in students.