Emotion regulation elicits cross-linguistically shared and language-specific forms of linguistic distancing.

ABSTRACT: Cognitively reappraising a stressful experience-reinterpreting the situation to blunt its emotional impact-is effective for regulating negative emotions. English speakers have been shown to engage in linguistic distancing when reappraising, spontaneously using words that are more abstract or impersonal. Across two preregistered studies (N = 299), we investigated whether such shifts in language use generalize to Spanish, a language proposed to offer unique tools for expressing psychological distance. Bilingual speakers of Spanish and English and a comparison group of English monolinguals transcribed their thoughts in each of their languages while responding naturally to negative images or reappraising them. Reappraisal shifted markers of psychological distance common to both languages (e.g.

SUBMITTER: Holmes KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11443042 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature