Immediate and delayed effects of suppression and mindfulness as emotion regulation strategies

Emotion regulation is an integral component of multiple physical and psychological functions, and problems with emotion regulation are thought to be involved with the development of psychological disorders. Most laboratory research on emotion regulation has been limited to investigating short-term impact during a single session.

In the current study, we investigated the potential delayed consequences of the short-term use of two emotion regulation strategies: mindfulness and suppression. To do so, a two-session design was implemented, with 56 undergraduate participants viewing images under various regulation instructions at Time 1, returning one week later for a recognition memory test for these images at Time 2. Images were rated for valence and arousal at both time points.

We hypothesized that images encoded mindfully would elicit lower levels of anxiety upon re-exposure, while suppression would increase levels of anxiety. Results did not support original hypotheses: although participants reported being calmer and happier at re-exposure, this effect did not vary by strategy. High-anxiety participants reported higher arousal levels regardless of Instruction condition or Time Point.

These findings suggest that short-term use of emotion regulation does not impact feelings of calmness long-term, when exposed to anxiety-provoking stimuli.