Emotion Regulation Under Pressure: The Impact of Cognitive Reappraisal and Expressive Suppression on Stress Responses

Abstract

Acute social stress, a common type of stress faced in situations of intense pressure and social evaluation, induces both psychological and physiological responses. When these responses are prolonged or poorly managed, they can have detrimental effects on one’s health. Emotion regulation, the capacity to control and modulate one’s emotional responses, is a central mechanism that shapes how individuals experience and recover from stressors. This study examined how two prevalent emotion regulation strategies, cognitive reappraisal (CR) and expressive suppression (ES), influence acute social stress responses. Participants (N=58) completed the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire as part of an online survey to assess their use of each strategy. They then participated in the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and control version of the TSST (C-TSST) in a counterbalanced design. Physiological markers (heart rate [HR], heart rate variability [HRV], and skin conductance level [SCL]), along with subjective stress ratings, were collected through both tasks. Through a manipulation check, it was concluded that the TSST successfully induced more stress than the C-TSST. Multiple linear regression analyses and linear mixed-effects models assessed associations between emotion regulation strategies and stress responses. ES was significantly associated with higher perceived threat and showed a slight trend towards slower HR recovery. CR was not found to be significantly linked to physiological or subjective stress markers, although slight trends were present. These findings highlight the potential impact of emotion regulation on stress reactivity. By gaining a deeper understanding of adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, interventions that promote healthier coping mechanisms can be implemented.