Differentiation of Self and Its Relationship with Emotional Self-Regulation and Anxiety in a Spanish Sample

Abstract

This study analyzes the relationship of differentiation of self with emotional self-regulation and anxiety, and the differences in these variables based on the sex and the age of the participants. The study involved a Spanish sample of 216 subjects who answered the Differentiation of Self Scale (DSS), the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The results show that differentiation is related to emotional regulation and anxiety. Furthermore, differences in differentiation of self, emotional self-regulation and anxiety depending on sex and age are observed. Implications for clinical practice and suggestions for future lines of research are discussed.

Keywords:

• Differentiation of self
• emotional self-regulation
• cognitive reappraisal
• emotional suppression
• trait and state anxiety

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.