title: The regulatory benefits of high levels of affect perception accuracy: a process analysis of reactions to stressors in daily life.
abstract: Individuals attuned to affective signals from the environment may possess an advantage in the emotion-regulation realm. In two studies (total n = 151), individual differences in affective perception accuracy were assessed in an objective, performance-based manner. Subsequently, the same individuals completed daily diary protocols in which daily stressor levels were reported as well as problematic states shown to be stress-reactive in previous studies. In both studies, individual differences in affect perception accuracy interacted with daily stressor levels to predict the problematic outcomes. Daily stressors precipitated problematic reactions--whether depressive feelings (study 1) or somatic symptoms (study 2)--at low levels of affect perception accuracy, but did not do so at high levels of affect perception accuracy. The findings support a regulatory view of such perceptual abilities. Implications for understanding emotion regulation processes, emotional intelligence, and individual differences in reactivity are discussed.
authors: Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University, Fargo 58105-5075, USA. Michael.D.Robinson@ndsu.edu
authors: Michael D
authors: MD
authors: Robinson
authors: Sara K
authors: SK
authors: Moeller
authors: Maria M
authors: MM
authors: Buchholz
authors: Ryan L
authors: RL
authors: Boyd
authors: Wendy
authors: W
authors: Troop-Gordon
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000339:Affect; D003863:Depression; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D055815:Young Adult