If you can regulate sadness, you can probably regulate shame: Associations between trait emotional intelligence, emotion regulation and coping efficiency across discrete emotions

Moïra Mikolajczak*, Delphine Nelis, Michel Hansenne, J. Quoidbach

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Indexed journal article Articlepeer-review

203 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The construct of trait emotional intelligence [trait EI] encompasses individual dispositions related to the perception, processing, regulation, and utilization of emotional information. These emotion-related dispositions are located at the lower levels of personality hierarchies. Prior studies found that trait EI promoted the utilization of adaptive coping strategies to regulate stress. The present study examined (1) whether this effect would extend to other emotions and (2) whether the coping styles used to regulate a given emotion would mediate the effect of trait EI on the propensity to experience that particular emotion. Analyses revealed that trait EI promoted the choice of adaptive strategies not only in the case of stress, but also anger, sadness, fear, jealousy, and shame. Trait EI also promoted the use of adaptive strategies to maintain joy. We also found that high trait EI individuals' choice of adaptive strategies to down-regulate various negative emotions and maintain positive ones explained their decreased propensity to experience these negative emotions and their increased propensity to experience positive ones.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1356-1368
Number of pages13
JournalPersonality and Individual Differences
Volume44
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2008
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Coping
  • Discrete emotions
  • Emotion regulation
  • Mediation
  • Trait affectivity
  • Trait emotional intelligence

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