Emotion Regulation Strategies in Educational, Work and Sport Contexts: An Approach in Five Countries

Abstract

One of the greatest challenges in the domain of emotional regulation is comprehending the functionality of strategies and their utilization in various social contexts. In this sense, this study analyzes differences in the use and efficacy of regulation strategies, particularly of interpersonal strategies like altruism, social support, negotiation, mediation, regulation, and rituals, in samples of workers (N = 687) and students (N = 959) from Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Spain, and Uruguay, and athletes (N =144) from Spain. Participants answered questions pertaining to measures of affect or emotional regulation (MARS and ERQ self-regulation scales and EROS heteroregulation), as well as questions of a wellbeing scale (PHI) and questions related to emotional creativity (ECI), humor styles (HSQ), and adjustment to stress. Athletes reported less emotional discharge, use of humor, and affection, and greater confrontation and use of rituals than students and workers. A congruent relationship was found between the use of functional strategies (like direct coping, distraction, reevaluation, and active physiological regulation) and adjustment to stress, well-being, and creativity. Seeking social support, negotiation, and, to an extent, altruism, confirmed their predicted adaptive character. Mediation and delegation did not confirm their predicted adaptive character. Rumination, social comparison, rituals, confrontation, and suppression were maladaptive for workers and students, but the first four strategies were functional for athletes, who display a higher self-control and a more team-oriented and competitive emotional culture. Finally, the results show that adaptive regulation strategies mediate the relationship between well-being and adjustment to stress.