The Effects Of Emotion, Emotion Regulation Strategies And Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy On Athletes’ Executive Function

The impact of emotion on cognition is an important research issue of sport psychology. The study concerning with the impact of emotion on executive function is a hot issue in this field. This study applied methods questionnaire and experiments to investigate the impact of emotion, emotion regulation and regulatory emotional self-efficacy on athletes’ executive function.The study was divided into three parts:Part1 of the study was to test the applicability of The Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale. 401 college athletes took part in this study. The results showed this scale was of good reliability and validity and could be applied to measure the ability of athletes’ regulatory emotional self-efficacy.Part2 and Part3 of the study was to investigate the impact of emotion,emotion regulation and regulatory emotional self-efficacy on athletes’ inhibition and task switching respectively. 133 and 123 college athletes took part in this study respectively. The results showed:(1) The athletes of high regulatory emotional self-efficacy performed less stop signal reaction time than athletes of low regulatory emotional self-efficacy, the effects of regulatory emotional self-efficacy on switch cost were not significant.(2) The athletes who were in happiness performed less stop signal reaction time and switch cost than athletes who were in anger.(3) Within happiness state, athletes of high regulatory emotional self-efficacy performed more switch cost than athletes of low regulatory emotional self-efficacy. Within anger state, athletes of high regulatory emotional self-efficacy performed less stop signal reaction time and switch cost than athletes of low regulatory emotional self-efficacy.(4) Athletes of low regulatory emotional self-efficacy in happiness state performed less stop signal reaction time and switch cost than those in anger state.(5) Within happiness state, there were not significant differences of stop signal reaction time and switch cost between the different levels of regulatory emotional self-efficacy athletes. Within anger state, athletes who applied cognitive reappraisal performed less stop signal reaction time athletes who applied express suppression; there were not significant differences of stop signal reaction time between the different levels of regulatory emotional self-efficacy athletes.(6) Within happiness state, there were no significant interaction effects on inhibition and shifting between emotion regulation and regulatory emotional self-efficacy.(7) Within anger state, high regulatory emotional self-efficacy athletes who applied cognitive reappraisal performed less stop signal reaction time and switch cost than low regulatory emotional self-efficacy athletes who applied cognitive reappraisal; there were not significant differences of stop signal reaction time and switch cost between the different level of regulatory emotional self-efficacy for the athletes who applied express suppression; high regulatory emotional self-efficacy athletes who applied cognitive reappraisal performed less switch cost than low regulatory emotional self-efficacy athletes who applied express suppression; low regulatory emotional self-efficacy athletes who applied cognitive reappraisal performed less stop signal reaction time than low regulatory emotional self-efficacy athletes who applied express suppression.The conclusions were as follows:(1) The athletes of high regulatory emotional self-efficacy performed better inhibition than athletes of low regulatory emotional self-efficacy. Especially within anger state, the athletes of high regulatory emotional self-efficacy performed better inhibition than athletes of low regulatory emotional self-efficacy. however low regulatory emotional self-efficacy athletes who were in happiness state performed better task switching.(2) The athletes who were in happiness state performed better inhibition and task switching than athletes who were in anger state. Especially for the athletes of low regulatory emotional self-efficacy.(3) Within anger state, the athletes who applied cognitive reappraisal performed better task switching than athletes who applied express suppression.Within anger state, the athletes who applied cognitive reappraisal performed better inhibition than ones applied express suppression; the athletes of low regulatory emotional self-efficacy who applied express suppression performed better inhibition than ones applied cognitive reappraisal; the athletes of high regulatory emotional self-efficacy who applied cognitive reappraisal performed better inhibition and task switching than athletes of low regulatory emotional self-efficacy who applied cognitive reappraisal.