[7] Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytical research led to the introduction of ‘defence mechanisms’, cognitive responses which serve to push unwanted thoughts and emotions out of the conscious mind.
[8] In his studies of the human psyche, Carl Jung looked into how people manage their emotions by integrating some into their personality and suppressing others, which in turn gives us our "personas" through self-awareness.
[10] In the late 20th century, Richard S. Lazarus brought to light the theory of cognitive appraisal (an individual’s subjective view of their environment and its stimuli) in understanding emotional responses, while James J.
The strategy of cognitive reappraisal has been heavily investigated, referring to the ability of an individual to alter their interpretation of a situation or event which is likely to elicit negative feelings in order to reduce or redirect its psychological impact.
[14] The prefrontal cortex aids the control of the limbic system which is the home of the amygdala, the part of the brain which is believed to be central to the processing of our emotions.
[17] As children grow older, their ability to self-regulate their emotions becomes more refined as a result of social learning, conditioning and cognitive development, with family effect being the largest contributor to this.
It is also believed that this process is critical in children, with dysfunctional affect regulation practices in childhood being commonly associated with mental health problems such as depression or anxiety later in life.
Helping patients master emotion and affect regulation techniques has been seen as valuable in treating mental health issues like PTSD, anxiety and depression.