Determining the relationship between personality traits, styles and dimensions of attachment with cognitive strategies of emotion regulation in secondary school students of Mehriz city.

Dissertation

To receive a master's degree

Educational Psychology

Abstract

The present study has determined the relationship between personality traits, styles and dimensions of attachment with cognitive strategies of emotional regulation in second year high school boys and girls in Mehriz city. The research method was descriptive and correlational. The statistical population included all male and female students of the second year of high school in Mehriz city in the academic year 2013-2013. 313 students (153 boys, 160 girls) were selected as a sample by multi-stage cluster random sampling method based on Krejci and Morgan table. To collect data, Neo's personality trait questionnaire, Collins and Reed's adult attachment style questionnaire, and Garnevsky and Kraich's cognitive regulation of emotion questionnaire were used. Data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and regression analysis. The results of data analysis showed that there is a significant relationship between personality traits and positive and negative emotion regulation strategies. Also, there is a significant relationship between attachment styles and dimensions with positive and negative emotion regulation strategies. The results of the regression analysis showed that among the predictor variables, conscientiousness and extroversion played a direct role in predicting positive emotion regulation strategies, and also two variables of neuroticism and experientiality played a direct role in predicting negative emotion regulation strategies and agreeableness played an inverse role. Finally, possible explanations for the findings as well as suggestions and limitations of this research are presented. Keywords: positive strategies of emotion regulation, negative strategies of emotion regulation, personality traits, attachment styles, dimensions of attachment. Needs that on one hand contribute to the well-being of most societies and on the other hand add to their problems, which have caused the occurrence of some diseases and mental disorders and weakened human relationships and values. In fact, human problems have become more complex and diverse, all humans experience emotions [1] and emotions in their lives, and it is completely natural to show different emotions and emotions when faced with various situations. But extreme negative emotions and emotions are abnormal and not only not constructive, but also have destructive and harmful effects (Kavianpour, 2013).

Emotion is indeed one of the components of mental life and a main phenomenon in human activities and plays a significant role in human survival and adaptation (Grass and Thompson[2], 2007; Ness and Ellsworth[3], 2009). According to Passer and Smith [4] (2001), emotions are positive or negative emotional states that arise from cognitive, physiological patterns and behavioral reactions to events (cited by Sayadi, 2019). Lewis and Haviland [5] (2000) consider emotion to be the first cause of cognition, decision and action, a subject that can play an irreplaceable role in solving and creating interpersonal and intrapersonal problems and experiences. Emotions on an interpersonal level help a person to be aware of the inner states and behavioral goals of others (Farijda[6], 1986; quoted by Zare, Latifiyan and Foulad Cheng, 2013), exchange of information for human relations, necessity and It is an important determinant in psychological and social stability. In addition, emotion has intrapersonal functions such as gaining insight into personal values ??(Bechara, Damasio and Damasio [7], 2000). In general, emotional abilities play an effective role in recognizing appropriate emotional responses in facing everyday events, expanding the range of insight and creating attitudes about events and emotions. Therefore, those who have the ability to recognize, control and use these emotional abilities will enjoy more social support, a sense of satisfaction and mental health (Taj Dehghani, 2013). It should be noted that although excitement is very helpful, it can also be harmful; For example, when it is expressed at an inappropriate time. Also, inappropriate emotional responses in many forms of psychopathology (Camples-Sails and Barlow [8], 2007), social problems (Isenberg, Hofer and Vaughan [9]; 2007, Shaver and Michalinser [10], 2007) and Even physical diseases play a role.        

Successful emotion regulation[11] plays a fundamental role in human life (Gross, 2007).Multiple psychological, cognitive, physiological and behavioral functions depend on people's success in regulating emotions (Gross and Thompson, 2007; Alaqband et al., 2011). Emotion regulation is one of the natural features that can be seen in babies and it is greatly influenced by the environment and especially the parenting and parenting methods. Emotion regulation is developed in the growing environment and otherwise acts in a non-adaptive way (Zare et al., 2013).

Now, several factors can affect the control and regulation of emotions; Factors that either originate from within the person, personality and individual characteristics, or that are the result of the environment in which the person is placed. Among these factors, we can mention personality traits[12], attachment styles and dimensions[13]. In fact, considering these two theories, we can pay attention to the role of genetics and social factors in controlling and regulating emotions. Attachment theory generally emphasizes the social causes of attachment styles, while the theory of the big five factors of personality mainly focuses on genetics, the basics of mood or the causes of personality traits (Nilfroshan, 2009).

Personality traits as an organized set and a unit consisting of relatively stable characteristics in people that together distinguish a person from other people (Shamlo, 2009) can affect the control and regulation of emotions. put In fact, based on research findings, it can be said that personality traits play an important role in choosing emotion regulation strategies, and the type of emotion regulation strategies is appropriate to the dominant personality traits in a person. Therefore, knowledge of personality traits is useful and beneficial to deal with life's problems. Since personality traits are deeply related to how a person perceives and interprets the world and his reaction to stressful events, it is natural that some personality traits are more flexible than others. People who have inflexible personality traits and also those who cannot adapt their answers to the demands of a specific situation lack life skills and show the worst reactions to life. In fact, personality traits make people prone to perform different behaviors in certain situations. The specific study of a person's behavior is a type of determination of his personality, and therefore, by knowing the behavior of a person, it is possible to predict what kind of behavior will occur from this person with this type of personality in different situations (Taj Dehghani, 2013).

As it was said, another factor that can be effective on emotion regulation is attachment styles. Attachment is a strong emotional bond that each person creates for certain people in his life (Balby [14], 1969). Early attachment experiences with caregivers guide feelings, thoughts, and behavior in subsequent relationships. Balbi's attachment theory (1969) states that the child's relationship with caregivers (mother or mother substitute) in the early years of life leads to the formation of certain psychological patterns that are the basis of most interpersonal relationships in adulthood. Adult attachment theory (Hazan[15] and Shaver, 1987), which originated from Balby and Ainsworth[16]'s attachment theory, has been proposed to explain individual differences in cognitions, feelings, and behaviors that occur in the context of close and intimate relationships during adolescence. According to this theory, individual differences in attachment style originate from people's experiences from their previous close relationships, which begin with the attachment relationship between the child and his primary caregiver (usually the mother) (Mikalinser and Shaver, 2007).

Attachment theory has provided researchers with an important theoretical basis for understanding the existence of behavioral and emotional problems in adolescence. In the attachment theory, two points have always been emphasized: firstly, that the warm, close and continuous relationship of the mother (her permanent substitute) with the child is necessary for her mental health, and secondly, that separation from the mother and rejection by her has an effect on most behavioral problems and anxiety [17] of children. Various studies have shown that adolescent attachment style is related to maladaptive behavioral patterns and psycho-emotional functioning in the later years of life (Cassidy[18], 2001; Brownfield[19] and Thompson, 2003).