Although the adaptive function of future orientation has been demonstrated, whether an individual's orientation toward the future regulates emotions to cope with future stressors remains unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the emotion regulation function of future orientation in a goal-related stressful situation. Eighty participants were randomly assigned to an experiment group or a control group. The experiment group was primed by a future-oriented manipulation, whereas the control group was primed by a neutral condition; then, both groups performed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). The results showed that the experiment group exhibited reduced negative mood, increased positive mood, and a lower peak cortisol level after the TSST task. In conclusion, future orientation is considered an effective approach to regulate future emotions in response to stress. Our results render insights to developing strategies in coping with occupational stress.

中文翻译：

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未来导向有助于调节未来的情绪

虽然未来取向的适应功能已经得到证实，但个体对未来的取向是否会调节情绪以应对未来的压力仍然未知。本研究旨在研究未来定向在目标相关压力情况下的情绪调节功能。八十名参与者被随机分配到实验组或对照组。实验组以面向未来的操作为准备，而对照组以中性条件为准备；然后，两组都进行了特里尔社会压力测试 (TSST)。结果表明，实验组在 TSST 任务后表现出的消极情绪减少，积极情绪增加，皮质醇峰值水平降低。综上所述，未来导向被认为是调节未来情绪以应对压力的有效方法。我们的结果为制定应对职业压力的策略提供了见解。