Reappraisal: adaptive emotion regulation or meaning reconstruction?

Abstract

Objective The present study reexamined the function of cognitive reappraisal, which has traditionally been regarded as an adaptive emotion regulation strategy.

Method Participants were 169 Japanese male prisoners, including violent/serious offenders (n = 52) and theft offenders (n = 117). Measures included the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), K6 (6-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale), and Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR).

Results Compared with theft offenders, violent/serious offenders showed significantly higher anger and reappraisal scores together with lower subjective stress related to work, family, and community life. No significant group difference was found in suppression. The elevated reappraisal tendency observed among violent/serious offenders was not sufficiently explained by impression management and showed only a partial association with self-deception.

Conclusions These findings suggest that reappraisal may not function solely as an adaptive strategy for reducing negative emotions. The coexistence of elevated anger, higher reappraisal, and lower subjective stress suggests that high levels of cognitive reappraisal should not automatically be interpreted as indicators of adaptive psychological functioning. One hypothesis generated by the present findings is that some responses captured by the ERQ may reflect meaning reconstruction processes that reduce subjective discomfort while maintaining self-consistent interpretations of one’s own behavior.