3 - (SYM 86) Investigating Psychiatric Symptoms as Predictors of the Reasons People Do Not Regulate Their Emotions in Daily Life

Investigations into emotion dysregulation predominantly focus on ineffective strategy selection and implementation. Less empirical attention has been given to the possibility that failure to engage in emotion regulation (ER) may also indicate emotion dysregulation, especially when the reason for not regulating suggests skill or motivational deficits. We randomly sampled ER strategy use up to six times per day for five weeks in 113 adults with elevated social anxiety. When participants reported not engaging in any recent ER, they indicated their reason for not regulating. Participants reported not regulating in 60.9% of submitted surveys. The most frequently endorsed reason for not regulating was “I wasn’t experiencing any thoughts/feelings that I wanted to change” (83.3%)—which we considered to be a putatively adaptive reason for not regulating—followed by “I didn’t want to put in the effort” (10.6%), then “I didn’t know what to do” (6.7%), and finally, “I didn’t think I was capable” (3.6%). After controlling for within- and between-person state affect, participants with higher (vs. lower) trait-level social anxiety, depression, and emotion dysregulation were more likely to report that they were not engaging in ER because of low motivation, uncertainty about how to regulate, or not feeling capable to regulate (ps< .027). Degree of trait-level generalized worry and alcohol use were not significant predictors of reasons for not regulating. Findings from these pre-registered analyses suggest that not regulating, especially among persons higher in social anxiety, depression, and emotion dysregulation, may indicate ER skill or motivation deficits that point to opportunities for intervention (e.g., increasing strategy knowledge and self-efficacy). This talk highlights an alternative way of conceptualizing ER skills in daily life by investigating for whom lack of skill or motivation might interfere with even making an ER attempt.