Bostan CM, Maricuțoiu LP, Constantin T. Successful management of automatic dysfunctional thoughts in the context of negative emotions.
Anxiety Stress Coping 2018;
31:686-701. [PMID:
30183344 DOI:
10.1080/10615806.2018.1518634]
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Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Cognitive and affective overloads trigger automatic dysfunctional thoughts and undermine their voluntary management [ADTs; Beck, A. T. (1976). Cognitive therapy and the emotional disorders. New York: Meridian; Wegner, D. M. (1994). Ironic processes of mental control. Psychology Review, 101(1), 34-52]. Taking into account intense negative emotions as triggers for the ADTs, we explored whether context (i.e., social context) and emotional experience (i.e., emotional intensity) predict the successful management of ADTs. We also examine the moderating role of difficulties in emotional regulation strategies.
METHOD
Thirty-eight participants wrote in a personal online diary of at least 10 times in 40 weeks. We analyzed the conditions for managing ADTs by means of multilevel in stages models.
RESULTS
Emotional intensity negatively predicted successful management of ADTs. Attempts to control ADTs and work context positively predicted successful management of ADTs. The negative relation between the emotional intensity and the management of ADTs was stronger as individuals were less aware of their own emotions, and was weaker as they had less clear representations of their own emotions. Superior access to emotion regulation strategies explained a stronger relationship between the work context and the successful management of ADTs.
CONCLUSIONS
We discuss theoretical and practical implications of the results.
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