Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026
12:55
Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
Published on: September 27, 2020
[Measurement of Affect Regulation Styles (MARS) expanded]
Darío Páez Rovira1, Francisco Martínez Sánchez, Verónica Sevillano Triguero
1Facultad de Psicología, Universidad del País Vasco, 20080 San Sebastián, Spain. pspparod@ss.ehu.es
Psicothema
|March 17, 2012
Summary
Adaptive affect regulation strategies like instrumental coping and social support enhance psychological well-being. Conversely, maladaptive strategies such as suppression are linked to poorer outcomes, particularly in managing anger and sadness.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Emotional Regulation Studies
Background:
- Affective regulation is crucial for psychological well-being.
- Understanding emotion regulation styles in diverse cultural contexts is important.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between affect regulation strategies, coping mechanisms, and psychological well-being.
- To validate an expanded Spanish version of the Measure of Affect Regulation Styles (MARS).
Main Methods:
- Administered the Spanish MARS to 355 graduate students in Chile, Spain, and Mexico.
- Analyzed associations between regulation styles, coping, and well-being in response to anger and sadness.
Main Results:
- Functional adaptive strategies included instrumental coping, social support, positive reappraisal, distraction, rumination, self-comfort, self-control, and emotional expression.
- Dysfunctional strategies were inhibition and suppression.
- Adaptive strategies positively correlated with psychological well-being, while suppression and alexithymia showed negative associations.
Conclusions:
- Specific affect regulation strategies differentially impact psychological well-being.
- Adaptive strategies are linked to better psychological outcomes, whereas maladaptive ones are detrimental.
- Anger episodes were associated with confrontation, instrumental coping, social support, and social isolation.
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