Reappraisal Flexibility as a Pathway to Enhanced Well-Being

Research suggests that flexibility – the ability to use emotion regulation strategies in accordance with contextual demands – is central to health and well-being. In the proposed research, we examine the contextual variability in one of the most widely used emotion regulation strategies - reappraisal. In the first set of studies, we examine the contextual variability in reappraisal in daily life using experience sampling methods. Specifically, we focus on the role of emotion intensity, age, and socioeconomic status in shaping the use and effectiveness of reappraisal for improving well-being in daily life. Building on these findings, we further propose developing a personalized reappraisal flexibility intervention to enhance well-being. In addition to this novel empirical work, we outline a training plan focusing on 3 key areas: conducting personal and contextualized interventions, computational modeling, and career development.