The relationship between working memory and emotion regulation strategies

The article focuses on the results of a study on the relationship between working memory and emotion regulation. The relationship between working memory and emotion regulation is expected to manifest itself especially in situations of applying emotion regulation strategies that engage cognitive resources, such as cognitive reappraisal and positive reappraisal. We assumed that, compared to participants low in working memory capacity, participants high in working memory capacity would report using the above strategies more frequently. In our study (N = 65), the participants completed two questionnaires: the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, as well as a well-validated measure of working memory capacity known as the Operation Span Task. Our hypotheses were confirmed. The results were interpreted in relation to such constructs as temporal organization of emotion regulation strategies, affective flexibility, or forms of reappraisal.