Emotion regulation strategies in meditators and nonmeditators: An experimental study using a multimethod psychological assessment

Emotion regulation (ER) refers to processes by which people control the occurrence, intensity, and duration of their emotions, either automatically or intentionally. Several studies have investigated different ER strategies, their characteristics, and their association with psychopathology and well-being. Maladaptive strategies such as rumination and thought suppression are associated with an increased risk of psychiatric disorders and are negatively correlated with well-being. In contrast, meditation has gained attention as a method to promote adaptive ER strategies (e.g., reflection, reappraisal) and to reduce recourse to maladaptive strategies. The aim of this study was to understand how meditation practices affect ER strategies by using a multimethod approach that includes different sources of information. A sample of 35 meditators and 35 well-matched nonmeditators were assessed with both self-report (i.e., Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Rumination and Reflection Questionnaire, and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-16) and behavioral tasks (i.e., Thought Suppression Task; Mental Arithmetic Task). It was found that the group of meditators relied more on adaptive ER strategies and less on maladaptive strategies in the self-reports, while no group differences were observed in the behavioral tasks. Correlation analyses revealed that behavioral tasks and self-report measures were significantly correlated prior to stress induction; however, no such correlations were observed following the induction. These findings suggest that caution should be exercised when interpreting the extent to which self-reported ER processes accurately reflect ER in response to stress. A multimethod approach provided a broader perspective on the differences between how individuals, including meditators, perceive ER and how they cope with emotions under stress, revealing both conscious and implicit emotional processes.