Dealing efficiently with emotions: Acceptance-based coping with negative emotions requires fewer resources than suppression

Abstract

Previous studies have consistently shown that changing or avoiding emotions requires resources and therefore leads to impaired performance on a subsequent self-control task. The aim of the present study was to investigate the extent to which acceptance-based coping requires regulatory resources. Participants who accepted their emotions during exposure to a sad video performed better on a subsequent self-control task than participants who were instructed to suppress their emotions and a control group who received no instructions. These findings suggest that acceptance is an efficient strategy in terms of resources.

Keywords:

• Acceptance
• Mindfulness
• Emotion
• Self-control
• Ego depletion
• Resources

Notes

¹Although it is possible to frame acceptance in terms of goals, namely (1) to take an accepting stance towards experienced emotions and (2) to approach this process in a non-judgemental manner, the present distinction refers to the future goal that one aims to reach by involving in a process, rather than these two present-oriented process goals.