Intra- versus interpersonal emotion regulation: Associations with affect, relationship quality and closeness, and biological markers of stress.

Abstract

Past research has focused on emotion regulation (ER) as an intrapersonal endeavor (managing one's own emotions), leaving many questions unanswered about interpersonal emotion regulation (IER; receiving support from another person to regulate one's emotions). This study sought to understand the effects of two common IER strategies (corumination, codistraction) by comparing them with each other and their intrapersonal counterparts (rumination, distraction) on negative and positive affect, relationship quality and closeness, and biological stress responses (i.e., cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase [sAA]). Participants completed the Fast Friends paradigm and then privately recalled a stressful event. Participants were then randomized into one of four ER groups: rumination, distraction, corumination, or codistraction. Affect, relationship quality, closeness, cortisol, and sAA were measured throughout the study session and during a 40-min post-ER recovery period. Interestingly, the ER groups differed in affect and biological recovery from stress, but not in relationship quality or closeness. Specifically, distraction facilitated the greatest decline in negative affect during the ER induction, but negative affect decline was greater in rumination and corumination than in distraction during the recovery period. Additionally, both IER groups showed increased sAA levels during the ER induction, but sAA levels showed a greater decline in the IER than in intrapersonal ER groups during the recovery period. This study highlights the nuanced effects of intrapersonal versus IER strategies and thus informs approaches to modulate negative affect and biological markers of stress when facing stressful events. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).