Response to a positive mood induction procedure as a function of instructed and dispositional levels of experiential approach

Efforts to regulate positive emotions via experiential approach can be assessed by the experience prolonging (EP) and anxious clinging (AC) subscales of the Experiential Approach Scale (EAS; Swails et al., 2016). EP represents the tendency to allow positive emotions to linger and be savored for as long as they naturally last, while AC refers to efforts to “capture” desired affective states, while simultaneously worrying that they will be lost. The moderating role of experiential approach was examined in two previous correlational studies with inconsistent findings. The current study provided a more extensive analysis of experiential approach by combining both correlational and experimental strategies. Specifically, the impact of dispositional and instructed levels of experiential approach on emotion regulation, both singly and interactively, were evaluated within a positive mood induction procedure. Dispositional levels of AC and EP were assessed with the EAS of participants (N = 168) randomly assigned to one of the three instructional conditions -- AC-focused, EP-focused, or control instructions – about how to respond to increases in positive affect while watching an amusing film clip. Self-reported levels of positive affect, negative affect, and the balance between the two were assessed at pre and postinduction as well as at follow-up. The overall effect of the film clip in inducing positive affect and reducing negative affect varied by the instructed and dispositional levels of experiential approach. The most pronounced immediate effect of watching the clip was a reduction of negative mood among participants who were both instructed and dispositionally inclined to engage in EP. By contrast, the greatest deterioration in induced positive mood during the follow-up period occurred among those with low dispositional levels of AC who also followed AC-focused instructions. Limitations of the study and implications of its findings for further research on experiential approach in positive emotion regulation are discussed.

Author

• Quan, Huan

Identifier

hdl:10057/28209

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:soar.wichita.edu:10057/28209