ABSTRACT

Emotion malleability beliefs, or beliefs that emotions are changeable versus fixed, may be an important and modifiable determinant of emotion regulation strategy employment and psychological distress. The present study evaluated the prospective relationship between college students’ emotion malleability beliefs, depression and anxiety symptom severity, cognitive and behavioural avoidance, social engagement, and cognitive reappraisal. Participants were college students (N = 177) who completed a battery of questionnaires at the beginning of the academic year and again at a 6-month follow-up. Linear regression analyses indicated that emotion malleability beliefs predicted anxiety and depression, although this effect was not found when controlling for baseline symptom severity. Increases in emotion malleability beliefs were associated with more cognitive reappraisal and less cognitive and behavioural avoidance at follow-up when controlling for baseline levels of each variable. To the extent that emotion malleability beliefs predicted less avoidance at follow-up, anxiety and depression symptom severity was lower. Results suggest that emotion malleability beliefs predict avoidance and related psychological outcomes across the academic year.

摘要

情绪延展性信念，或认为情绪是可变的还是固定的，可能是情绪调节策略使用和心理困扰的重要且可修改的决定因素。本研究评估了大学生的情绪延展性信念、抑郁和焦虑症状严重程度、认知和行为回避、社会参与和认知重新评估之间的前瞻性关系。被试为大学生（N = 177）他​​们在学年开始时完成了一系列问卷，并在 6 个月的随访中再次完成。线性回归分析表明，情绪延展性信念可以预测焦虑和抑郁，尽管在控制基线症状严重程度时没有发现这种影响。当控制每个变量的基线水平时，情绪延展性信念的增加与更多的认知重新评估和更少的认知和行为回避相关。就情绪延展性信念预测随访时较少的回避而言，焦虑和抑郁症状的严重程度较低。结果表明，情绪延展性信念可以预测整个学年的回避和相关心理结果。