Thinking positively: Optimism and emotion regulation predict interpretation of ambiguous information
The way individuals interpret their worlds is influenced by emotion and its regulation. Indeed, negative affect typically increases negative interpretations of ambiguous stimuli and may have a role in dysfunctional psychosocial function. Yet, it is not currently known whether explicit and implicit e...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2016-12-01
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| Series: | Cogent Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2016.1195068 |
| _version_ | 1819183279220195328 |
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| author | Nakia S. Gordon Samantha A. Chesney Katherine Reiter |
| author_facet | Nakia S. Gordon Samantha A. Chesney Katherine Reiter |
| author_sort | Nakia S. Gordon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The way individuals interpret their worlds is influenced by emotion and its regulation. Indeed, negative affect typically increases negative interpretations of ambiguous stimuli and may have a role in dysfunctional psychosocial function. Yet, it is not currently known whether explicit and implicit emotion regulation can counteract this effect. To address this question, undergraduates (N = 103) used cognitive reappraisal under angry and control mood states to disambiguate sentences by selecting either a neutral, positive, or negative word. While explicit cognitive reappraisal decreased negative affect, it had no effect on interpretation of ambiguity. Still, reported use of reappraisal predicted decreased negative and increased positive interpretations. Further, dispositional characteristics such as anger and optimism were key factors in how participants interpreted ambiguity. These findings suggest that regulating emotion may not be sufficient for influencing cognitive interpretations. Yet, individuals who are optimistic and are able to successfully regulate their emotions are less prone to negative interpretations even under angry mood states. This has implications for skill development in individuals with emotional disorders. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T22:59:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1769fd72b835476f94f40e92546e133f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2331-1908 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T22:59:30Z |
| publishDate | 2016-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cogent Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-1769fd72b835476f94f40e92546e133f2022-12-21T18:09:44ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Psychology2331-19082016-12-013110.1080/23311908.2016.11950681195068Thinking positively: Optimism and emotion regulation predict interpretation of ambiguous informationNakia S. Gordon0Samantha A. Chesney1Katherine Reiter2Marquette UniversityMarquette UniversityMarquette UniversityThe way individuals interpret their worlds is influenced by emotion and its regulation. Indeed, negative affect typically increases negative interpretations of ambiguous stimuli and may have a role in dysfunctional psychosocial function. Yet, it is not currently known whether explicit and implicit emotion regulation can counteract this effect. To address this question, undergraduates (N = 103) used cognitive reappraisal under angry and control mood states to disambiguate sentences by selecting either a neutral, positive, or negative word. While explicit cognitive reappraisal decreased negative affect, it had no effect on interpretation of ambiguity. Still, reported use of reappraisal predicted decreased negative and increased positive interpretations. Further, dispositional characteristics such as anger and optimism were key factors in how participants interpreted ambiguity. These findings suggest that regulating emotion may not be sufficient for influencing cognitive interpretations. Yet, individuals who are optimistic and are able to successfully regulate their emotions are less prone to negative interpretations even under angry mood states. This has implications for skill development in individuals with emotional disorders.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2016.1195068emotion regulationinterpretation biasangeroptimismambiguityemotionreappraisal |
| spellingShingle | Nakia S. Gordon Samantha A. Chesney Katherine Reiter Thinking positively: Optimism and emotion regulation predict interpretation of ambiguous information Cogent Psychology emotion regulation interpretation bias anger optimism ambiguity emotion reappraisal |
| title | Thinking positively: Optimism and emotion regulation predict interpretation of ambiguous information |
| title_full | Thinking positively: Optimism and emotion regulation predict interpretation of ambiguous information |
| title_fullStr | Thinking positively: Optimism and emotion regulation predict interpretation of ambiguous information |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thinking positively: Optimism and emotion regulation predict interpretation of ambiguous information |
| title_short | Thinking positively: Optimism and emotion regulation predict interpretation of ambiguous information |
| title_sort | thinking positively optimism and emotion regulation predict interpretation of ambiguous information |
| topic | emotion regulation interpretation bias anger optimism ambiguity emotion reappraisal |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2016.1195068 |
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