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Emotional Suppression and Psychological Well-Being in Marriage: The Role of Regulatory Focus and Spousal Behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Unji An

    (Department of Psychology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea)

  • Haeyoung Gideon Park

    (Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada)

  • Da Eun Han

    (Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA)

  • Young-Hoon Kim

    (Department of Psychology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea)

Abstract

Emotional suppression has been considered a critical factor in determining one’s mental health and psychological well-being in intimate relationships such as marriage. The present study aimed to delineate the nuanced association between emotional suppression and psychological well-being in marriage by considering two critical factors: (a) individual differences in motivational orientation and (b) the perceived level of a partner’s emotional suppression. A set of two online survey studies were conducted on a large sample of married participants. The participants were asked to indicate (a) their own level of emotional suppression, (b) the perceived level of their spouse’s emotional suppression, (c) relationship motivation, and (d) satisfaction with marital life. The results consistently indicated that for prevention-focused individuals being emotionally suppressive was associated with greater marital satisfaction, but only for those who perceived their spouses as also emotionally suppressive. Conversely, for promotion-focused individuals, being less emotionally suppressive was associated with greater marital satisfaction, but again, only for those who perceived their spouses as also being less emotionally suppressive. These findings provide insights into research on emotion regulation and self-regulatory strategies in influencing psychological well-being and mental health in an intimate relationship.

Suggested Citation

  • Unji An & Haeyoung Gideon Park & Da Eun Han & Young-Hoon Kim, 2022. "Emotional Suppression and Psychological Well-Being in Marriage: The Role of Regulatory Focus and Spousal Behavior," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(2), pages 1-17, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:2:p:973-:d:725697
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lee, Angela Y. & Aaker, Jennifer L. & Gardner, Wendi L., 2000. "The Pleasures and Pains of Distinct Self-Construals: The Role of Interdependence in Regulatory Focus," Research Papers 1577r, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
    2. Fei He & Hao Guan & Yi Kong & Rong Cao & Jiaxi Peng, 2014. "Some Individual Differences Influencing the Propensity to Happiness: Insights from Behavioral Economics," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 119(2), pages 897-908, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Doyeon An & Sang-Lim Lee & Hyekyung Woo, 2022. "Marriage Intention among Korean Young Adults: Trends and Influencing Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-14, July.

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