Using temporal distancing to regulate emotion in adolescence: modulation by reactive aggression

ABSTRACT

Adopting a temporally distant perspective on stressors reduces distress in adults. Here we investigate whether the extent to which individuals project themselves into the future influences distancing efficacy. We also examined modulating effects of age across adolescence and reactive aggression: factors associated with reduced future-thinking and poor emotion regulation. Participants (N = 83, aged 12–22) read scenarios and rated negative affect when adopting a distant-future perspective, near-future perspective, or when reacting naturally. Self-report data revealed significant downregulation of negative affect during the distant-future condition, with a similar though non-significant skin conductance pattern. Importantly, participants who projected further ahead showed the greatest distress reductions. While temporal distancing efficacy did not vary with age, participants reporting greater reactive aggression showed reduced distancing efficacy, and projected themselves less far into the future. Findings demonstrate the importance of temporal extent in effective temporal distancing; shedding light on a potential mechanism for poor emotional control associated with reactive aggression.

KEYWORDS:

• Adolescence
• emotion regulation
• reactive aggression
• temporal distancing
• skin conductance

Acknowledgments

We thank Erik Kastman for technical assistance and Megan Garrad, Catherine Insel, and Alexandra Rodman for organisation and participant recruitment throughout the project.

Data statement

The data supporting this publication can be accessed on the Open Science Framework: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/ST8E3.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

C. L. Sebastian http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8080-0582

Notes

1. In the course of data checking, we found that participants should have been presented with three options scored as follows: 0 (never), 1 (sometimes), 2 (never). To check consistency with prior studies using the RPQ, we recoded the data from the four-option version as 0 (never), 1 (rarely/sometimes) and 2 (often). Results of analyses using this 0–2 scoring were almost identical to those obtained when scoring the measure using four options, and are available upon request. Mean scores (using the 0–2 scoring) for both Proactive Aggression (M = 2.99, SD = 2.60) and Reactive Aggression (M = 8.53, SD = 2.83) subscales were similar to those from previous studies in typical adolescents (Raine et al., 2006; Proactive Aggression: M = 2.79, SD = 3.47; Reactive Aggression: M = 7.14, SD = 4.18).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the American Psychological Association F. J. McGuigan Young Investigator Prize for Understanding the Human Mind (L.H.S), an Economic and Social Research Council Future Research Leaders award (ES/K008951/1) (C.L.S), and an Experimental Psychology Society Study Visit grant (S.P.A).