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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
08:09
Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
Exploring reasons why people do not regulate their emotions
Aya Uchida1, Katharine H Greenaway1, Anh Tran1
1Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne.
Emotion (Washington, D.C.)
|July 30, 2026
Summary
Most people don't regulate emotions, often because they feel their emotions are valid or don't know how. This research identifies key reasons for not regulating emotions, offering new intervention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Emotion Science
Background:
- Existing research primarily examines emotion regulation, overlooking instances where individuals do not regulate.
- Understanding the reasons behind non-regulation is crucial for a comprehensive view of emotion regulation processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a taxonomy of reasons why individuals do not regulate their emotions.
- To investigate the frequency and context of these reasons in both stressful events and daily life.
Main Methods:
- Study 1 involved qualitative descriptions of reasons for non-regulation during stress, followed by quantitative ratings of these reasons.
- Study 2 employed experience sampling to assess reasons for non-regulation in everyday life.
- Both studies were conducted in the UK and Australia.
Main Results:
- Common reasons for not regulating under stress included believing feelings were valid, not wanting to worsen the situation, and feeling powerless.
- In daily life, reasons included feelings being valid and regulation not being considered.
- Higher negative affect correlated with not regulating due to not knowing how.
Conclusions:
- Identifies prevalent reasons for emotion non-regulation across different contexts.
- Highlights the importance of studying non-initiation of emotion regulation.
- Suggests potential intervention points for fostering emotion regulation when desired.
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