Predicting Emotion Regulation Profiles: The Role of Emotional Reactivity and Pathways to Dissociation

Recent research highlights heterogeneity in habitual emotion regulation repertoires individuals use to cope with daily life events. These emotion regulation profiles, identified in the general population, have been proposed as potential mediators of various psychological conditions, including trait dissociation. However, their individual determinants remain unclear. This study examined the role of trait emotional reactivity in predicting emotion regulation profiles and the mediating effect of these profiles on trait dissociation. A sample of 302 participants completed an online assessment measuring emotional reactivity, emotion regulation strategies, and dissociative tendencies. Latent profile analysis identified five distinct emotion regulation profiles: high and low regulation, one adaptive, and two maladaptive profiles. Trait emotional reactivity strongly predicted membership to these profiles. Crucially, emotion regulation profiles mediated the relationship between emotional reactivity and dissociation, with specific maladaptive profiles amplifying this association. These findings indicate that dispositional emotional traits influence which emotion regulation strategies people habitually use. Moreover, emotion regulation profiles may serve as pathways through which heightened emotional reactivity contributes to dissociative symptoms. Understanding these mechanisms provides novel insights into how individual differences in emotion regulation contribute to psychological well-being.