Existing research has linked emotional intelligence (EI) with intrinsic emotion regulation (processes people use to regulate their own emotions). However, there has not yet been an empirical examination of whether EI abilities relate to extrinsic emotion regulation (processes people use to regulate other people’s emotions). This study (N = 178 undergraduates) examines whether ability EI (as measured by the Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test) correlates with eight extrinsic regulation processes (as measured by the Regulation of Others’ Emotions Scale, including downward comparison, expressive suppression, humour, distraction, direct action, reappraisal, receptive listening and valuing). Total ability EI score is significantly positively correlated with three high-engagement processes (r = .24, .40, and .16 for reappraisal, receptive listening, and valuing) and negatively correlated with two low-engagement processes (r = −.30 and −.38 for downward comparison and expressive suppression). When all four EI branches predicted each regulation process in multiple regression, only emotion management significantly predicted downward comparison, receptive listening and valuing, and only emotion management and understanding predicted expressive suppression (no significant regression coefficients for reappraisal). We conclude that the drivers of EI/extrinsic regulation associations are engagement with the target’s emotion and the emotion management branch of EI.

Romantic partners' emotions are interdependent, yet it remains unclear whether their emotion regulation behaviors also influence each other over time. This study investigated bidirectional associations between intrinsic emotion regulation (regulating one's own emotions) and extrinsic emotion regulation (regulating a partner's emotions) in 387 heterosexual couples assessed across seven waves over 2 years from August 2021 to August 2023 (1,699 observations). At each wave, both partners reported their use of six pairs of intrinsic-extrinsic strategies: expressive suppression, humor, reappraisal, distraction, direct action, and sharing. Couples showed limited temporal influence on each other (within-dyad effects) but robust trait-level associations of intrinsic and extrinsic regulation (between-dyad effects). Individuals tended to use similar strategies to regulate their own and their partner's emotions. Partner effects varied by strategy: Men who used more humor to regulate their emotions received less humor from women, whereas men who used more distraction to regulate their emotions received more distraction from women. Direct action and sharing showed bidirectional partner effects. Men's use of direct action to regulate their emotions predicted (and was predicted by) less direct action received from women. Men's use of sharing to regulate their own emotions predicted (and was predicted by) more sharing received from women. Overall, our findings support that emotion regulation in romantic relationships is inherently interpersonal, with interdependence operating primarily through stable trait-level patterns rather than temporal influences. Generalizability is limited by the relatively homogeneous sample (predominantly Caucasian, English-speaking, and highly educated). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

The Systematic Self‐Reflection Model of Resilience Strengthening (Crane, Searle, et al., 2019) proposes that coping self‐reflection on everyday stressors can generate coping‐related insights that refine modifiable capacities for resilience (e.g., coping beliefs, coping adjustment, and coping‐enabling resources), thereby increasing the likelihood of resilience. However, reflective engagement and insight generation may be constrained by individual and contextual factors, raising the possibility that externally modeled coping insights could scaffold subsequent self‐reflection and strengthen downstream adaptation. This preregistered study tests whether narrative exposure that explicitly models coping‐related insights enhances the effects of structured self‐reflection among emerging adults (18–25 years). Participants (target final N = 400; recruited from Australia and the United Kingdom) will be randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) high‐insight priming story + reflection, in which short video stories explicitly convey a coping‐related insight; (2) low‐insight priming story + reflection, in which the same stories omit explicit meaning‐making; or (3) reflection‐only. Participants complete five weekly tasks, with assessments at baseline (T1), post‐intervention (T2), and 3‐month follow‐up (T3). Primary outcomes include coping‐related insight (self‐report and blind‐coded written insights), resilient capacities (coping self‐efficacy, coping adjustment, support‐seeking intentions, perceived social support), and mental ill‐health symptoms (depression and anxiety). Resilience is operationalized as stressor reactivity, symptom levels relative to stressor exposure, calculated as residualised symptoms after accounting for adversity and daily hassles, at each time point. We hypothesize that high‐insight priming narratives will increase insight and resilient capacities and reduce stressor reactivity over time. Mediation analyses will test underlying mechanisms.

Emotional intelligence (EI) has been positively associated with relationship quality in romantic couples, but few studies have examined the mechanisms underlying this association. The current study examines the mediating role of extrinsic emotion regulation (regulating your partner’s emotions) on the associations between EI and relationship quality. Specifically, we studied the mediating effects of three extrinsic regulation strategies involving high engagement with the partner’s emotions (cognitive reframing, receptive listening, and valuing). Heterosexual couples ( N = 175) completed three waves of surveys across 14 weeks from August to October 2021. EI, extrinsic emotion regulation strategies, and relationship quality were measured at three time points. Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Models (APIMeMs) were applied to the dyadic data to predict relationship quality and changes in relationship quality (with baseline relationship quality controlled). Results showed that valuing one’s partner was the only significant mediator linking EI to relationship quality. For both men and women, individuals’ EI is associated with better relationship quality for themselves and their partners, through their use of valuing to regulate their partners. However, the mediation effect did not extend to residualized changes in relationship quality over time, indicating that EI and mutual valuing may not drive long-term growth. These findings underscore the importance of fostering EI and mutual valuing within couples, which related to healthier present relational functioning. Future research is needed to clarify their roles in sustaining long-term relationship trajectories.

Emotional intelligence reflects individuals’ capacities to perceive, understand, and manage emotions, and emotion regulation involves the behaviours people use to influence their emotional experiences. This meta-analysis ( n = 111 studies, k = 911 effects) examined associations between emotional intelligence and the tendency to use 20 common regulation processes. Ability EI (measured by ability tests) was positively associated with direct situation modification only. Self-report EI (measured by self-report scales) was positively associated with adaptive processes (direct situation modification, positive reappraisal, deep acting, seeking help), negatively associated with maladaptive processes (avoidance, catastrophizing, denial, self-blame, expressive suppression, surface acting, substance use), and positively associated with distraction and religious coping. Measurement type moderated these associations. Self-report EI showed stronger effects than ability EI for direct situation modification, positive reappraisal, seeking help, distraction, and religious coping. Among self-report EI measures, those based on ability models showed stronger associations with acceptance and distraction than those based on mixed models. Overall, emotionally intelligent individuals tend to habitually use more adaptive and fewer maladaptive emotion regulation processes, with a tendency toward actively engaging with rather than avoiding or disengaging from their emotions and the problems. These associations are meaningfully affected by the measurement approach of emotional intelligence.