'''Emotional approach coping''' is a psychological construct that involves the use of emotional processing and emotional expression in response to a stressful situation.<ref name= "Positive">{{cite book|last1=Stanton|first1=A.L.|last2=Parsa|first2=A.|last3=Austenfeld|first3=J.L.|editor1-last=Snyder|editor1-first=C.R.|editor2-last=Lopez|editor2-first=S.J.|title=Oxford handbook of positive psychology|date=2002|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0199862160|pages=148–158}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{cite book|last1=Stanton|first1=A.L.|last2=Franz|first2=R.|editor1-last=Snyder|editor1-first=C.R.|title=Coping : the psychology of what works|date=1999|publisher=Oxford Univ. Press|location=New York, NY [u.a.]|isbn=978-0195119343|pages=90–118|edition=[Online-Ausg.].}}</ref> As opposed to emotional [[Avoidance coping|avoidance]], in which [[emotion]]s are experienced as a negative, undesired reaction to a stressful situation, emotional approach coping involves the [[Consciousness|conscious]] use of emotional expression and processing to better deal with a stressful situation.<ref name= "Snyder">{{cite book|last1=Snyder|first1=C.R.|title=Coping with stress : effective people and processes|date=2001|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York|isbn=9780195130447|pages=16–17|edition=[Online-Ausg.].}}</ref> The construct was developed to explain an inconsistency in the [[Stress (psychological)|stress]] and [[Coping (psychology)|coping]] literature: emotion-focused coping was associated with largely maladaptive outcomes while emotional processing and expression was demonstrated to be beneficial.<ref name= "Snyder" />
== History of the construct == [[Coping (psychology)|Coping]] is a conscious attempt to address and alleviate demands perceived as stressful.<ref name= "Folkman">{{cite book|last1=Folkman|first1=Richard S. Lazarus; Susan|title=Stress, appraisal, and coping|date=2006|publisher=Springer|location=New York|isbn=978-0-8261-4191-0|edition=[Nachdr.]}}</ref> Research examining coping has suggested two broad categories of coping: emotion-focused and problem-focused coping.<ref name=":1">{{cite book|last1=Lazarus|first1=Richard S.|last2=Folkman|first2=Susan|title=Stress, appraisal, and coping|date=1984|publisher=Springer|location=New York|isbn=978-0826141910}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|title = Progress on a cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotion.|journal = American Psychologist|pages = 819–834|volume = 46|issue = 8|doi = 10.1037/0003-066x.46.8.819|first = Richard S.|last = Lazarus|year = 1991|pmid = 1928936}}</ref> Emotion-focused coping involves attempts to regulate the negative emotional response to stress. Whereas problem-focused coping involves attempts to directly modify the stressor.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite book|last1=Taylor|first1=Shelley E.|title=Health psychology|date=2011|publisher=McGraw-Hill|location=New York, NY|isbn=9780078035197|edition=8th}}</ref> Coping processes have also been defined instead on whether they involve approaching the stressful situation or avoiding it.<ref name="Allport, 1948">{{cite journal | author = Allport G. W. | year = 1948 | title = The Genius of Kurt Lewin | journal = Journal of Social Issues | volume = 4 | pages = 14–21 | doi=10.1111/j.1540-4560.1948.tb01792.x}}</ref><ref name="Lewin, 1935">Lewin, K (1935). ''A Dynamic Theory of Personality.'' New York: McGraw-Hill.</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|title = Behavioral inhibition, behavioral activation, and affective responses to impending reward and punishment: The BIS/BAS Scales.|journal = Journal of Personality and Social Psychology|pages = 319–333|volume = 67|issue = 2|doi = 10.1037/0022-3514.67.2.319|first1 = Charles S.|last1 = Carver|first2 = Teri L.|last2 = White|s2cid = 6452203|year = 1994}}</ref>
The experience of powerful emotions has been characterized by researchers as disruptive and dysfunctional, particularly for cognitive processes.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Averill|first1=James R.|editor1-last=Leary|editor1-first=David E.|title=Metaphors in the history of psychology|date=1990|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=New York|isbn=9780521421522|pages=104–132|edition=New}}</ref> Moreover, research also suggests links between emotion-focused coping and poor psychological outcomes. A review of over 100 studies found associations between emotion-focused coping and negative outcomes such as poor [[life satisfaction]], greater [[Major depressive disorder|depressive]] and [[Anxiety|anxious]] symptoms and [[neuroticism]].<ref name="Positive" />
However, there is some evidence in the [[Empirical research|empirical]] literature that emotional expression can be functional and adaptive. Experimental research on expressive writing, involving emotional disclosure, has been shown to have benefits for performance on cognitive tasks and for psychological outcomes, such as depressive symptoms.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Frattaroli|first1=Joanne|title=Experimental disclosure and its moderators: A meta-analysis.|journal=Psychological Bulletin|date=2006|volume=132|issue=6|pages=823–865|doi=10.1037/0033-2909.132.6.823|pmid=17073523}}</ref> Emotion regulation has also illustrated the importance of emotional processing and expression for well-being.<ref name=Gross>{{cite book|last1=Gross|first1=James J.|last2=John|first2=Oliver P.|editor1-last=Gross|editor1-first=James J.|title=Handbook of emotion regulation|date=2013|publisher=The Guilford Press|location=New York|isbn=9781462503506|pages=555–568|edition=Second}}</ref> Therapeutic approaches have also demonstrated the important role of emotions in coping with difficult situations. [[Emotionally focused therapy|Emotion-focused therapy]] is a clinical psychology approach that emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and tolerating negative emotions and enjoying [[positive emotions]] for healthy psychological adjustment.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Greenberg|first1=Leslie|title=Emotion-focused Therapy: Coaching Clients to Work Through Their Feelings|date=2015|publisher=American Psychological Association|isbn=9781433819957}}</ref>
Researchers have attempted to disentangle the maladaptive and functional aspects of emotion-focused coping by examining the measurements of emotion-focused coping. Several studies have found that emotion-focused measurements of coping often aggregate approach and avoidance strategies.<ref name="Positive" /><ref name= "Snyder" /> A second reason emotion-focused coping has been construed as maladaptive is that measures of emotion-focused coping are confounded with measures of [[Distress (medicine)|distress]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|title = Coping through emotional approach: Problems of conceptualizaton and confounding.|journal = Journal of Personality and Social Psychology|pages = 350–362|volume = 66|issue = 2|doi = 10.1037/0022-3514.66.2.350|first1 = Annette L.|last1 = Stanton|first2 = Sharon|last2 = Danoff-Burg|first3 = Christine L.|last3 = Cameron|first4 = Andrew P.|last4 = Ellis|year = 1994|pmid = 8195990}}</ref> In an attempt to rectify these difficulties with the [[operationalization]] of emotion-focused coping, a new scale for assessing emotional approach coping was proposed.<ref name="Snyder" /><ref name=":0" />
In the context of natural disaster and crisis, mental health and supporting emotional coping styles has been found to be often be neglected by first responders. Research suggests that those experiencing crisis and trauma do better when they are able to engage with their emotional experiences by reflecting on them in order to make meaning of them. This process leads to an increase in tolerance of emotion, resilience, psychological flexibility, and community engagement. Furthermore, this process leads to greater growth when a collective approach to emotional processing is taken. <ref>{{cite journal|last1=Kieft|first1=J.|last2=Bendell|first2=J|year=2021|title=The responsibility of communicating difficult truths about climate influenced societal disruption and collapse: an introduction to psychological research |url=https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/5950 |journal=Institute for Leadership and Sustainability (IFLAS) Occasional Papers |volume=7|pages=1–39}}</ref>
== Assessment of coping through emotional approach ==
Emotional approach coping can be assessed using the emotional approach coping scales developed by Stanton, Kirk, Cameron, and Danoff-Burg in 2000.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal|last1=Stanton|first1=Annette L.|last2=Kirk|first2=Sarah B.|last3=Cameron|first3=Christine L.|last4=Danoff-Burg|first4=Sharon|title=Coping through emotional approach: Scale construction and validation.|journal=Journal of Personality and Social Psychology|date=2000|volume=78|issue=6|pages=1150–1169|doi=10.1037/0022-3514.78.6.1150|pmid=10870915|citeseerx=10.1.1.1006.9165}}</ref> The scales involve two distinct subscales of items: emotional processing and emotional expression.<ref name=":0" /> Emotional processing and emotional expression scales are positively correlated but distinct.<ref name=":0" /> The emotional processing items reflect an attempt to understand, consider and examine emotions in response to a stressful event. For example, “I acknowledge my feelings” and “I take time to figure out what I’m really feeling.” Emotional expression items assess attempts to verbally and non-verbally communicate and share emotions.<ref name=":0" /> Sample items include: “I allow myself to express my feelings” and “I feel free to express my emotions.”<ref name=":0" /> The emotional approach coping scales have been tested and validated using situational (i.e., what do you do in response to a specific stressor) and dispositional (i.e., what do you do in general) instruction sets.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|title = Coping Through Emotional Approach: A New Look at Emotion, Coping, and Health-Related Outcomes|journal = Journal of Personality|date = 2004-12-01|issn = 1467-6494|pages = 1335–1364|volume = 72|issue = 6|doi = 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2004.00299.x|pmid = 15509285|first1 = Jennifer L.|last1 = Austenfeld|first2 = Annette L.|last2 = Stanton}}</ref> The scales are uncorrelated with social desirability.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = A Multidimensional Structure for Repetitive Thought: What's on Your Mind, and How, and How Much?|journal = Journal of Personality and Social Psychology|pages = 909–921|volume = 85|issue = 5|doi = 10.1037/0022-3514.85.5.909|first1 = Suzanne C.|last1 = Segerstrom|first2 = Annette L.|last2 = Stanton|first3 = Lynn E.|last3 = Alden|first4 = Brenna E.|last4 = Shortridge|pmid=14599253|year = 2003}}</ref> In addition to English, the emotional approach coping scale has also been validated in Norwegian<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Emotion regulation in patients with rheumatic diseases: validity and responsiveness of the Emotional Approach Coping Scale (EAC)|journal = BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders|date = 2009-09-03|issn = 1471-2474|pmc = 2749806|pmid = 19728869|pages = 107|volume = 10|issue = 1|doi = 10.1186/1471-2474-10-107|first1 = Heidi A.|last1 = Zangi|first2 = Andrew|last2 = Garratt|first3 = Kåre B.|last3 = Hagen|first4 = Annette L.|last4 = Stanton|first5 = Petter|last5 = Mowinckel|first6 = Arnstein|last6 = Finset | doi-access=free }}</ref> and Turkish.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Turkish Validation of the Emotional Approach Coping Scale|last1 = Durak|first1 = Mihat|date = 2011|journal = Psychological Reports|doi = 10.2466/02.08.20.21.PR0.109.4.147-166|pmid = 22049657|last2 = Senol-Durak|first2 = Emre|volume = 109|issue = 1|pages = 147–66|s2cid = 12076162}}</ref>
== Empirical support ==
=== Longitudinal research ===
====Infertility==== Among heterosexual couples coping with [[infertility]], emotional approach coping predicted decreased depressive symptoms for both members of the couple after an unsuccessful insemination attempt.<ref name=":7" /> Emotional approach coping may also confer benefits for partners. Having a male partner high in emotional approach coping was protective against depressive symptoms for female partners low in emotional approach coping.<ref name=":7" />
====Sexual assault==== Emotional approach coping may confer some benefits to victims of [[sexual assault]]. Among sexual assault survivors, increases in emotional expression were associated with greater perceived control over the recovery process and feelings of control were associated with decreased distress after the assault.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Correlates of Levels and Patterns of Positive Life Changes Following Sexual Assault.|journal = Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology|pages = 19–30|volume = 72|issue = 1|doi = 10.1037/0022-006x.72.1.19|first1 = Patricia|last1 = Frazier|first2 = Ty|last2 = Tashiro|first3 = Margit|last3 = Berman|first4 = Michael|last4 = Steger|first5 = Jeffrey|last5 = Long|pmid=14756611|year=2004}}</ref>
====Breast cancer==== There is mixed evidence for the utility of emotional approach coping in samples of women with [[breast cancer]]. In a [[longitudinal study]] of women with breast cancer, for women who perceived their social environments to be receptive, emotional expression predicted improved quality of life.<ref name=":8" /> Coping through emotional expression among women with breast cancer has also been found to predict an increase in [[Posttraumatic growth|post-traumatic growth]].<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Posttraumatic growth after breast cancer: Patient, partner, and couple perspectives|last1 = Manne|first1 = S.|date = 2004|journal = Psychosomatic Medicine|doi = 10.1097/01.psy.0000127689.38525.7d|pmid = 15184709|last2 = Ostroff|first2 = J.|last3 = Winkel|first3 = G.|last4 = Goldstein|first4 = L.|last5 = Fox|first5 = K.|last6 = Grana|first6 = G.|volume = 66|issue = 3|pages = 442–454|s2cid = 20115890|doi-access = free}}</ref> However, other studies have not found the same link between emotional expression and post-traumatic growth.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Curvilinear associations between benefit finding and psychosocial adjustment to breast cancer.|journal = Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology|pages = 828–840|volume = 74|issue = 5|doi = 10.1037/0022-006x.74.5.828|first1 = Suzanne C.|last1 = Lechner|first2 = Charles S.|last2 = Carver|first3 = Michael H.|last3 = Antoni|first4 = Kathryn E.|last4 = Weaver|first5 = Kristin M.|last5 = Phillips|pmid=17032087|year = 2006|citeseerx = 10.1.1.524.1424}}</ref>
=== Cross-sectional research ===
==== Student and community samples ====
Cross-sectional studies illustrate the link between emotional approach coping and positive psychological adjustment, under certain conditions in student and community samples. In a [[cross-sectional study]] of undergraduate women, women who scored more highly on emotional approach coping reported more positive and less negative valenced repetitive thoughts.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Episodic repetitive thought: dimensions, correlates, and consequences|journal = Anxiety, Stress, & Coping|date = 2012-01-01|issn = 1061-5806|pmc = 3237825|pmid = 21861772|pages = 3–21|volume = 25|issue = 1|doi = 10.1080/10615806.2011.608126|first1 = Suzanne C.|last1 = Segerstrom|first2 = Annette L.|last2 = Stanton|first3 = Sarah McQueary|last3 = Flynn|first4 = Abbey R.|last4 = Roach|first5 = Jamie J.|last5 = Testa|first6 = Jaime K.|last6 = Hardy}}</ref> In a community sample of African-American adults, emotional approach coping has also been found to be negatively associated with anger, trait anxiety and depressive symptoms.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = The Relationship of Racism, Chronic Stress Emotions, and Blood Pressure|journal = Journal of Nursing Scholarship|date = 2006-09-01|issn = 1547-5069|pages = 234–240|volume = 38|issue = 3|doi = 10.1111/j.1547-5069.2006.00108.x|pmid = 17044340|first = Rosalind M.|last = Peters}}</ref> In addition, women who reported higher dispositional emotional processing also reported fewer depressive and anxious symptoms and greater life satisfaction; while for men, higher dispositional emotional expression was linked to greater life satisfaction.<ref name=":0" />
==== Clinical samples ====
There is some evidence to suggest associations between emotional approach coping and psychological well-being. In a study of individuals who met [[DSM-IV]] criteria for anxiety disorder and healthy controls, levels of emotional approach coping were lower in those individuals who met the criteria than in controls.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|title = A Comparison of Emotional Approach Coping (EAC) between Individuals with Anxiety Disorders and Nonanxious Controls|journal = CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics|date = 2009-06-01|issn = 1755-5949|pages = 100–106|volume = 15|issue = 2|doi = 10.1111/j.1755-5949.2009.00080.x|pmid = 19492991|pmc = 6494016|first1 = Luana|last1 = Marques|first2 = Rebecca E.|last2 = Kaufman|first3 = Richard T.|last3 = LeBeau|first4 = Samantha J.|last4 = Moshier|first5 = Michael W.|last5 = Otto|first6 = Mark H.|last6 = Pollack|first7 = Naomi M.|last7 = Simon}}</ref> Another study examined veterans and found that higher levels emotional expression (but not emotional processing) were associated with lower depressive symptoms and decreased [[Posttraumatic stress disorder|post-traumatic stress disorder]], even when statistically controlling for age, gender, and race.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Impact of emotional approach coping and hope on PTSD and depression symptoms in a trauma exposed sample of Veterans receiving outpatient VA mental health care services|journal = Anxiety, Stress, & Coping|date = 2012-09-01|issn = 1061-5806|pmid = 22059938|pages = 559–573|volume = 25|issue = 5|doi = 10.1080/10615806.2011.621948|first1 = Christina M.|last1 = Hassija|first2 = Jane A.|last2 = Luterek|first3 = Kristin|last3 = Naragon-Gainey|first4 = Sally A.|last4 = Moore|first5 = Tracy|last5 = Simpson|s2cid = 11079375|url = https://zenodo.org/record/1234489}}</ref>
==== Cancer samples ====
Cross-sectional research of cancer samples reveals some positive, negative and mixed links with emotional approach coping. Higher emotional processing and emotional expression in female cancer survivors was associated with higher positive emotions and lower negative emotions.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|title = Emotional approach coping: Gender differences on psychological adjustment in young to middle-aged cancer survivors|journal = Psychology & Health|date = 2013-08-01|issn = 0887-0446|pmid = 23391312|pages = 874–894|volume = 28|issue = 8|doi = 10.1080/08870446.2012.762979|first1 = Dalnim|last1 = Cho|first2 = Crystal L.|last2 = Park|first3 = Thomas O.|last3 = Blank|s2cid = 27553531}}</ref> In male cancer survivors, higher emotional processing has been linked to higher positive emotions and higher emotional expression has been linked with lower negative emotions and fewer [[intrusive thought]]s.<ref name=":2" /> However, the links between emotional approach coping and psychological adjustment are not all positive some are negative or mixed. In one study of women who had received an abnormal result on an [[ovarian cancer]] screen, higher emotional processing was associated with higher intrusive thoughts and neither emotional processing nor emotional expression were associated with cancer-related [[Posttraumatic growth|post-traumatic growth]].<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Response to an abnormal ovarian cancer-screening test result: Test of the social cognitive processing and cognitive social health information processing models|journal = Psychology & Health|date = 2011-04-01|issn = 0887-0446|pmc = 2911487|pmid = 20419561|pages = 383–397|volume = 26|issue = 4|doi = 10.1080/08870440903437034|first1 = Michael A.|last1 = Andrykowski|first2 = Edward J.|last2 = Pavlik}}</ref>
==== Diabetes samples ==== There is from cross-sectional research that suggests the benefits of emotional processing for patients with diabetes. Among patients with [[Diabetes mellitus type 2|type 2 diabetes]], higher emotional processing was associated with greater diabetes-related knowledge, [[Compliance (medicine)|medication adherence]] and relevant self-care behaviors such as diet, physical activity and [[Blood glucose monitoring|blood glucose]] monitoring.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Associations between coping, diabetes knowledge, medication adherence and self-care behaviors in adults with type 2 diabetes|journal = General Hospital Psychiatry|pmc = 3383912|pmid = 22554428|pages = 385–389|volume = 34|issue = 4|doi = 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2012.03.018|first1 = Brittany L.|last1 = Smalls|first2 = Rebekah J.|last2 = Walker|first3 = Melba A.|last3 = Hernandez-Tejada|first4 = Jennifer A.|last4 = Campbell|first5 = Kimberly S.|last5 = Davis|first6 = Leonard E.|last6 = Egede|year = 2012}}</ref> Similarly, in adolescent patients with [[Diabetes mellitus type 1|Type 1 diabetes]], emotional processing was revealed to be associated with better metabolic control.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Emotional Processing and Self-Control in Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes|journal = Journal of Pediatric Psychology|date = 2012-09-01|issn = 0146-8693|pmc = 3437683|pmid = 22523404|pages = 925–934|volume = 37|issue = 8|doi = 10.1093/jpepsy/jss062|first1 = Amy E.|last1 = Hughes|first2 = Cynthia A.|last2 = Berg|first3 = Deborah J.|last3 = Wiebe}}</ref>
== Factors that determine effectiveness ==
=== Stressor-coping strategy fit === The stressor and the individual's appraisal of the stressor may determine the effectiveness of emotional approach coping as a mechanism for managing stress.<ref name=":1" /> An appraisal of a stressful situation as uncontrollable may make emotional approach coping an advantageous coping mechanism.<ref name="Positive" /> In fact, one study of undergraduates shows that when faced with a stressor individuals appraise as more uncontrollable, they are more likely to endorse using emotional approach coping to manage it.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Appraisal-Coping Goodness of Fit: A Daily Internet Study|journal = Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin|date = 2004-05-01|issn = 0146-1672|pmid = 15107156|pages = 558–569|volume = 30|issue = 5|doi = 10.1177/0146167203262855|first1 = Crystal L.|last1 = Park|first2 = Stephen|last2 = Armeli|first3 = Howard|last3 = Tennen|s2cid = 24772264}}</ref>
=== Gender === There is some evidence to suggest that the utility of emotional approach coping varies by [[gender]].<ref name="Positive" /> In a longitudinal study, emotional approach coping was found to predict increased life satisfaction and decreased depressive symptoms over time in women; however, in men, emotional approach coping predicted poorer adjustment over time.<ref name=":3" /> Some samples have also found that women report using emotional processing and expression more than men.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":2" /> However, research of infertile couples found no differences in the utility of emotional approach coping for men and women.<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal|title = Adjustment to a dyadic stressor: A longitudinal study of coping and depressive symptoms in infertile couples over an insemination attempt.|journal = Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology|pages = 433–438|volume = 70|issue = 2|doi = 10.1037/0022-006x.70.2.433|first1 = James P.|last1 = Berghuis|first2 = Annette L.|last2 = Stanton|s2cid = 15546976|year = 2002|pmid = 11952202}}</ref>
=== Individual differences === Individual differences, such as skill at engaging active coping techniques and comfort with expressing emotions, may modify the tendency to successfully employ emotional approach coping.<ref name="Positive" /> Individuals high in perceived emotional intelligence may also be more likely to use emotional approach coping skillfully.<ref name="Positive" /> Holding unrealistic perceptions of control may make the use of coping through emotional approach less likely because expressing and processing emotions could lead to evaluations that result in acknowledgement of illusions of control.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = What Individuals Believe They Can and Cannot Do: Explorations of Realistic and Unrealistic Control Beliefs|journal = Journal of Personality Assessment|date = 2004-04-01|issn = 0022-3891|pmid = 15080132|pages = 215–232|volume = 82|issue = 2|doi = 10.1207/s15327752jpa8202_9|first1 = Miron|last1 = Zuckerman|first2 = C. Raymond|last2 = Knee|first3 = Suzanne C.|last3 = Kieffer|first4 = Marylene|last4 = Gagne|s2cid = 13113731}}</ref> Personality attributes, such as hope, can also moderate the effectiveness of emotional approach coping. Women with breast cancer who were high in hope and reported coping with emotional expression, had fewer medical appointments for cancer-related complaints, enhanced physical health and decreased distress compared to women who did not cope using emotional expression.<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal|title = Emotionally expressive coping predicts psychological and physical adjustment to breast cancer.|journal = Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology|pages = 875–882|volume = 68|issue = 5|doi = 10.1037/0022-006x.68.5.875|first1 = Annette L.|last1 = Stanton|first2 = Sharon|last2 = Danoff-Burg|first3 = Christine L.|last3 = Cameron|first4 = Michelle|last4 = Bishop|first5 = Charlotte A.|last5 = Collins|first6 = Sarah B.|last6 = Kirk|first7 = Lisa A.|last7 = Sworowski|first8 = Robert|last8 = Twillman|year = 2000|pmid = 11068973}}</ref>
== Mechanisms ==
=== Goal identification and pursuit === The effects of emotional approach coping could be the result of identifying goals, understanding barriers to achieving those goals, and finding new pathways to achieve them.<ref name="Positive" /> Emotional expression and processing could help individuals direct attention to identify the most important goals in their lives.<ref name="Positive" />
=== Habituation to the stressor and cognitive appraisal === The effects of emotional approach coping could also be due to exposure to stressful stimuli when actively processing and expressing emotions.<ref name="Positive" /> The repeated exposure to the stressor could result in physiological [[habituation]].<ref name=":6" /> Repeated exposure to a stressor through emotional expression and processing could also lead to [[cognitive reappraisal]] of the stressor and related [[self-affirmation]]s.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal|title = Does Self-Affirmation, Cognitive Processing, or Discovery of Meaning Explain Cancer-Related Health Benefits of Expressive Writing?|journal = Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin|date = 2007-02-01|issn = 0146-1672|pmid = 17259584|pages = 238–250|volume = 33|issue = 2|doi = 10.1177/0146167206294412|first1 = J. David|last1 = Creswell|first2 = Suman|last2 = Lam|first3 = Annette L.|last3 = Stanton|first4 = Shelley E.|last4 = Taylor|first5 = Julienne E.|last5 = Bower|first6 = David K.|last6 = Sherman|s2cid = 746109}}</ref>
=== Affect labeling === The process of labeling the emotions (i.e., putting them into words) may lessen the intensity of the emotional experience. Studies have shown the process of affective labeling leads to decreases in brain regions such as the [[amygdala]] and increases in activation of the [[prefrontal cortex]], possibly indicating beneficial emotion regulation.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = The common and distinct neural bases of affect labeling and reappraisal in healthy adults|journal = Frontiers in Psychology|date = 2014-01-01|pmc = 3970015|pmid = 24715880|pages = 221|volume = 5|doi = 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00221|first1 = Lisa Jane|last1 = Burklund|first2 = J. David|last2 = Creswell|first3 = Michael|last3 = Irwin|first4 = Matthew|last4 = Lieberman|doi-access = free}}</ref>
=== Regulation of social environment === The use of emotional approach coping may signal to the social environment that an individual is in need of support.<ref name="Positive" /> The responsiveness of the social environment will determine the adaptiveness of emotional approach coping. Emotional expression that is met with empathetic concern may lead to better adjustment than emotional expression met by rejection.<ref name=":6" /> Some evidence from the research suggests this could be a potential mechanism. For women with breast cancer who perceive their social environment to be highly receptive, coping through emotional expression predicts improved quality of life.<ref name=":8" />
==See also== *[[Positive psychology]] ==References== {{Reflist}}
[[Category:Psychological methodology]] [[Category:Emotion]]