Makiko Tomida

The instrumental model of emotion regulation suggests that emotional preferences influence the selection of emotion regulation strategies, as individuals choose strategies that help attain their preferred emotional states. An empirical gap exists in whether such preferences prospectively predict subsequent emotion regulation strategy use. This study employed the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) to explore the prospective relationship between emotional preference for positive emotions and the subsequent use of emotion regulation strategies. This study also examined positive emotion regulation characteristics of individuals with varying levels of depression severity. The sample comprised nonclinical undergraduate and graduate students ( N = 108, 72.22% female, M = 20.54 years, SD = 4.84 years) who reported their momentary preferences for positive emotions and use of emotion regulation strategies four times a day over 10 days in their daily lives. Results indicated that a stronger momentary preference for positive emotions predicted greater subsequent use of emotion‐focused positive rumination. No significant association was found with self‐focused positive rumination or dampening. Elevated depression severity was associated with greater overall use of dampening and less use of self‐focused and emotion‐focused positive rumination. These findings suggest that individuals regulate positive emotions in alignment with the hedonic principle, seeking to maximize positive emotional experiences. However, individuals with elevated depression severity displayed a distinct pattern of emotion regulation characterized by increased downregulation and decreased upregulation of positive emotions.

Background and Aims: In the neurobiological theory of attention, the orienting network mainly supports the temperamental regulatory function in infancy, with soothing methods such as visual attention distraction influencing its development. The attention distraction method chosen for soothing is thought to be influenced by maternal sensitivity, which has been found to decrease with poor maternal mental health. We hypothesize that the degree of maternal distress may affect the choice of attention distraction soothing method. Further, individual differences in being soothed by attention distraction will be associated with the temperamental regulation function in infancy/toddlerhood.Method: Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted on longitudinal data at 6 and 24 months on a sample (N = 1892) drawn from the sub‐cohort of the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS). Temperament was examined through the short Infant Behavior Questionnaire‐Revised (Japanese version) and the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (Japanese version). Distress in caregivers was measured through the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (Japanese version) at prenatal and 1‐year‐postnatal stages. Individual differences in using visual distraction soothing methods were also measured using tailor‐made items.Results: Postnatal maternal distress at 12 months was negatively related to the tendency to use visual attention distraction as a soothing method (β = −0.06, p = 0.006) at 24 months. When we applied the subscale of the temperamental regulatory factor in SEM, the more the mothers chose the distraction method for soothing, i.e., the more the toddlers experienced it, the higher their attention shifting scores (β = 0.07, p = 0.002).Conclusion: The findings support the view that caregivers' choice of method for distracting offspring's attention from distress may be associated with the development of self‐regulation during infancy and toddlerhood.