Automatic Emotion Regulation (AER) can be classified as either adaptive or maladaptive, each with distinct implications for health. Adaptive AER is associated with better health outcomes because it allows individuals to more effectively mitigate or experience stressors. In contrast, maladaptive AER can be a critical factor in maintaining certain psychological disorders.

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Automatic Emotion Regulation (AER) is the non-deliberate control of emotions, operating without conscious thought. This process develops over time into an automatic script or schema that guides emotional responses, much like the learned skill of riding a bicycle. AER can influence all stages of emotional processing, from initial attention and appraisal to the final behavioral response, by activating pre-existing knowledge structures that shape an individual's functioning.

Automatic Emotion Regulation (AER)

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Adaptive and Maladaptive Automatic Emotion Regulation

Read the following scenario. Based on the principles of how emotional responses can become automatic and operate without conscious thought, explain Alex's reaction.

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