TY - JOUR

T1 - The regulatory benefits of high levels of affect perception accuracy

T2 - A process analysis of reactions to stressors in daily life

AU - Robinson, Michael D.

AU - Moeller, Sara K.

AU - Buchholz, Maria M.

AU - Boyd, Ryan L.

AU - Troop-Gordon, Wendy

PY - 2012/8/1

Y1 - 2012/8/1

N2 - Individuals attuned to affective signals from the environment may possess an advantage in the emotion-regulation realm. In two studies (total n = 151), individual differences in affective perception accuracy were assessed in an objective, performance-based manner. Subsequently, the same individuals completed daily diary protocols in which daily stressor levels were reported as well as problematic states shown to be stress-reactive in previous studies. In both studies, individual differences in affect perception accuracy interacted with daily stressor levels to predict the problematic outcomes. Daily stressors precipitated problematic reactions-whether depressive feelings (Study 1) or somatic symptoms (Study 2)-at low levels of affect perception accuracy, but did not do so at high levels of affect perception accuracy. The findings support a regulatory view of such perceptual abilities. Implications for understanding emotion regulation processes, emotional intelligence, and individual differences in reactivity are discussed.

AB - Individuals attuned to affective signals from the environment may possess an advantage in the emotion-regulation realm. In two studies (total n = 151), individual differences in affective perception accuracy were assessed in an objective, performance-based manner. Subsequently, the same individuals completed daily diary protocols in which daily stressor levels were reported as well as problematic states shown to be stress-reactive in previous studies. In both studies, individual differences in affect perception accuracy interacted with daily stressor levels to predict the problematic outcomes. Daily stressors precipitated problematic reactions-whether depressive feelings (Study 1) or somatic symptoms (Study 2)-at low levels of affect perception accuracy, but did not do so at high levels of affect perception accuracy. The findings support a regulatory view of such perceptual abilities. Implications for understanding emotion regulation processes, emotional intelligence, and individual differences in reactivity are discussed.

KW - Affect perception

KW - Emotion regulation

KW - Experience sampling

KW - Stress

U2 - 10.1037/a0029044

DO - 10.1037/a0029044

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 22775136

AN - SCOPUS:84868355835

VL - 12

SP - 785

EP - 795

JO - Emotion

JF - Emotion

SN - 1528-3542

IS - 4

ER -