| The purpose of the current study was to develop a measure of emotional regulation based on the negative priming paradigm and to provide some evidence of the validity of the new measure. The current study was focused on preconscious emotional regulation processes and develops a negative priming task in the context of emotion. To provide validity evidence for the negative priming measure, the current study also included several questionnaires measuring emotion related constructs. It also included criterion variable measures including recall, recognition, task satisfaction, the Scrambled Sentence Task, editing, and depression.; The negative priming task yielded two kinds of emotional regulation measures based on reaction time and probe error. The pattern of relationships between the negative priming measures and emotion related measures suggested that the negative priming task was actually measuring emotional regulation processes. Especially the error measure at the preconscious level showed significant predictions to criterion variables including recall, task satisfaction, depression, and editing task, whereas the negative priming measure at the conscious level did not show such significant predictions. Affectivity and personality measures significantly predicted some of the criterion variables including depression and the Scrambled Sentence Task. In addition, category error, which was included as an experimental variable, showed significant predictions to criterion variables. The differential predictions of the negative priming measures and the questionnaire measures suggested that the negative priming task might be addressing a broader range of emotional regulation processes.; The results of the current study provided some empirical evidence for the utility of negative priming paradigm in the study of emotional regulation. In addition, the current study was the first that provided empirical evidence for the predictability of emotional processes to task performance. Other theoretical and methodological implications, and limitations were discussed, and suggestions for future research were offered. |
