Emotion Regulation Mediates Effects of Alexithymia and Emotion Differentiation on Impulsive Aggressive Behavior

Abstract

Alexithymia and low emotion differentiation restrict access to emotional information and increase propensity toward dysregulated and deviant behaviors, such as impulsive aggression. However, mechanisms underlying such effects are largely unknown. This study examined the mediating role of emotion regulation in the relationship between restricted access to emotional information and impulsive aggression. Alexithymic features and emotion differentiation explained 43% of the variance in impulsive aggression; these relationships were fully mediated by emotion-regulation difficulty. Contrary to previously held assumptions, alexithymic features and emotion differentiation were uncorrelated with one another, each limiting the translation of unique emotion information necessary for adaptive emotion and behavior regulation.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Emily Rachel Edwards

EMILY RACHEL EDWARDS, M.A., is a doctoral student of clinical psychology at CUNY Graduate Center/John Jay College. Her research focuses on improving psychotherapeutic outcomes for persons with emotion processing deficits and behavioral dysregulation.

Peggilee Wupperman

PEGGILEE WUPPERMAN, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at John Jay College/City University of New York and Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale Medical School. She is invested in improving understanding and treatment of behavior dysregulation, and she is the developer of Mindfulness and Modification Therapy.