Cognitive Control

Abstract

The responses allowed elucidate the various situations in which people try to control their emotions as well as the strategies used to achieve this end. From a content analysis of the responses, emerged two classification systems: The first one refers to the reasons that cause a person to control cognitively their emotions and contains the following dimensions: valence of emotion, intensity of emotion, type of relationship, situation or context and degree of symmetry. The second classification system mentioned refers to the control mechanisms that respondents used. This classification consists on four dimensions: distraction, avoidance, reflection and emotional suppression. The results indicate similarities and differences between groups. The most important differences were found among the group of people of 20-30 years and those aged 80-90. It has been found that over the years, people begin to emphasize the value of the experience to address and control different situations.