A study on the mechanism of comic conventions and cosplay participation in expressing negative emotions among middle and high school students

Adolescents engagement in Anime, Comics, and Games (ACG) subcultures, particularly through cosplay and conventions, has become a prominent avenue for identity exploration and emotional coping. This study examines how different types of ACG participationcosplay only (CP-Only), convention attendance only (CN-Only), and combined cosplay and convention engagement (CP+CN)influence emotion regulation strategies, specifically cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression, among Chinese adolescents aged 1318 years (N= 204). Using the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) and a one-way ANOVA with post hoc tests, significant differences were observed across groups. The CP+CN group exhibited lower cognitive reappraisal scores compared to CP-Only (p< .001), suggesting that public role-playing demands may deplete cognitive resources, while their reduced expressive suppression scores (p< .001) aligned with the safe space hypothesis, where communal belonging fosters emotional authenticity. Regression analyses revealed that increased cosplay frequency predicted both higher reappraisal (R= 0.114) and suppression (R= 0.140) scores, indicating context-dependent regulatory flexibility. Gender imbalance (74.7% female in CP+CN) further highlighted gendered socialization effects on suppression tendencies. These findings underscore the dual role of ACG subcultures: mitigating suppression through peer support while constraining adaptive cognitive strategies under performance pressures. The study advocates for culturally sensitive interventions leveraging ACG communities and calls for longitudinal and neuroimaging research to disentangle causal mechanisms. This work contributes to understanding how leisure activities shape adolescent emotional development, bridging social identity theory with neurobiological perspectives to inform mental health practices in digital-popular cultures.