Your Need for Cognition, Cognitive Flexibility, and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies Matter! The Path beyond a Satisfied Life

Abstract

This study explored the associations among cognitive flexibility, cognitive emotion regulation (CER) strategies, need for cognition, and life satisfaction, which represents a cognitive component of subjective well-being. Previous studies have shown the importance of adaptive CER strategies for well-being, while maladaptive strategies have been linked to negative outcomes such as psychological distress, depression, and anxiety. Additionally, the need for cognition has been associated with cognitive flexibility and positive outcomes in various domains. However, the specific roles of cognitive flexibility and CER strategies in the relationship between need for cognition and life satisfaction remain relatively unexplored in the existing literature. This study aimed to address this gap by investigating how cognitive flexibility and different CER strategies contribute to the relationship between need for cognition and life satisfaction in a non-clinical sample of 239 adults via a survey consisting of a demographic information form, need for cognition scale, cognitive flexibility inventory, cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire, and satisfaction with life scale. The results demonstrated that when individuals with a high need for cognition had cognitive flexibility, they were more likely to use adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, resulting in elevated life satisfaction. The findings of this study may provide insights into the underlying mechanisms that influence individuals’ cognitive processes, cognitive emotional regulation, and overall life satisfaction. Such understanding can have implications for interventions aimed at enhancing cognitive flexibility, promoting adaptive CER strategies, and ultimately fostering improved life satisfaction.

Keywords:

• Need for cognition
• cognitive flexibility
• cognitive emotion regulation strategies
• life satisfaction

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Öykü AYDIN for her assistance in data collection.

Compliance with Ethical Standards

This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The ethics committee approval was obtained by the Ethics Committee of the University where the first author is affiliated.

Consent to Participate

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Authors’ Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Hande Kaynak, Merve Denizci Nazlıgül and Betül Beyza Cengil. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Hande Kaynak, Merve Denizci Nazlıgül and Betül Beyza Cengil and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure Statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The authors did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work.

Notes on contributors

Hande Kaynak

Hande Kaynak, Ph.D., is a cognitive psychologist and faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Çankaya University. Her research focuses on memory processes, particularly exploring how memory is affected by emotion.

Merve Denizci Nazlıgül

Merve Denizci Nazlıgül, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist with years of experience in private practice. In addition to her clinical work, she actively engages in research, seeking insights into the mechanisms underlying addictive behaviors. Her main research interest is in behavioral addictions, especially gaming addiction and exercise addiction.

Betül Beyza Cengil

Betül Beyza Cengil, M.A., is a PhD student in the Neuroscience program at Bilkent University and also works as a research assistant at Social Sciences University of Ankara. Her research focuses on memory systems, false memory, and their interaction with emotion. Recently, she has expanded her research to include the study of vision and its neural correlates.