Flexibility and perceived success in everyday interpersonal emotion regulation

Regulating others' emotions is central to social functioning and mental health, yet little is known about which other-focused strategies are perceived as successful in everyday life. Contemporary theories propose that emotion regulation outcomes reflect not only inherent differences among strategies but also the extent to which they are flexibly adapted to situational demands.

Across two ecological momentary assessment studies (EMA) in Germany (N = 131; 2016 assessments) and the United States (N = 219; 4303 assessments), participants reported their use of 15 other-focused emotion regulation strategies in social interactions and rated goal-contingent perceived success, emotional valence, relationship closeness, and their own baseline depressive and anxiety symptoms.

Within persons, response-modulation strategies (e.g., validation, soothing) were associated with the highest momentary perceived success. By contrast, cognitive reappraisal, distraction, and problem-solving showed weaker links to perceived success that depended more on context, with more favorable associations in negative (versus positive) emotional situations. Between persons, higher depressive and anxiety symptoms were related to less frequent use of other-focused strategies, lower perceived success, and reduced flexibility in adjusting strategy use to emotional valence, with magnitudes varying by sample.

All data were based on EMA reports from the regulator's perspective.

In two studies, we provide everyday evidence that perceived success of interpersonal emotion regulation varies with both the strategies people select and their flexible adjustment to situational demands. Altered patterns of strategy use, perceived success, and flexibility among individuals with elevated depressive and anxiety symptoms highlight potential targets for assessment and intervention.