Managing emotions in the face of discrimination: The differential effects of self-immersion, self-distanced reappraisal, and positive reappraisal.

• DOI: 10.1037/emo0001001
• Publication Date: 2021-09-30T13:35:26Z
• Authors: Ajua Duker; Dorainne J. Green; Ivuoma N. Onyeador; Jennifer A. Richeson
• Keywords: PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Prejudice and Discrimination; Sexism; 05 social sciences; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Affect and Emotion Regulation; Anger; Anxiety; Emotional Regulation; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Intergroup Processes; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences; 5. Gender equality; bepress|Social and Behavioral Sciences; bepress|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Psychology|Social Psychology; Humans; bepress|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Psychology|Personality and Social Contexts; Female; 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology; 10. No inequality

Contending with sexism is associated with negative affective outcomes, including increased anger, anxiety, and depression. Research largely outside of the discrimination domain suggests that emotion regulation strategies, such as reappraisal, can help people manage their emotions after stressful events, attenuating the associated negative affect. Perhaps, these emotion regulation strategies may also be effective in the face of discrimination experiences. The present research examines whether self-distanced reappraisal (Studies 1a & 1b) and positive reappraisal (Study 2) when contending with sexism yield more positive and less negative affective outcomes relative to self-immersion. Contrary to previous research, we find limited support for self- distanced reappraisal as an adaptive emotion regulation strategy for women contending with sexism. Results revealed, however, that positive reappraisal, compared to either self-immersion or self-distanced reappraisal, may be a promising emotion regulation strategy that reduces the affective consequences of sexism. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding the efficacy of different emotion regulation strategies in the context of discrimination.