Ways of dealing with emotions and their effects on psychophysical wellbeing. An integrated account.

Abstract This study with nearly 2.000 young men and women examined the relations between personality dispositions and preferred ways in managing emotions (Agreeableness, Neuroticism, Alexithymia, Emotion awareness, Coping, Reappraisal, Suppression and Faking of emotions) and psychophysical well-being (life satisfaction, affect, loneliness, and health). Specific dispositions and types of managing emotions (ME) that form a complex pattern at the individual level were hypothesized to differentially influence well-being. The results showed an overall coherence in how the participants reported to manage their emotions. For example, suppressors reported lower Agreeableness, and tended to report faking their emotions and having problems in communicating them. Overall, the findings confirmed that each ME type is likely to differentially influence well-being. For example, alexithymia was associated with health, but not with social loneliness and life satisfaction; suppressing and faking emotions were related with negative affect, health, and emotional loneliness, but not with positive affect and social loneliness. key words: emotion management, emotional dispositions, well-being-PUBLISHED _ Abstract LONGER- The study focuses on dispositions (e.g., personality) and preferred ways a person exhibits in managing emotions (ME) and on their relationship with psychophysical wellbeing, i.e., life satisfaction, felt affect, health, loneliness. Specific dispositions and ME types – that form a complex pattern at the individual level - were hypothesed to differentially influence wellbeing, affecting this rather than, or more than, that aspect of it, i.e., not to affect every index of it. Participants - about 2.000 young men and women - self-reported on dispositions and ME preferences (i.e. Agreeableness, Neuroticism, Alexithymia, Emotion awareness, Coping, Reappraisal, Suppression and Faking of emotions) and on aspects of wellbeing. The results, that showed an overall coherence in how people manage their emotions (e.g., suppressors fake their emotions too, do not communicate them easily, report lower agreeableness, etc.), confirmed that each ME type is likely to differentially influence wellbeing – e.g., alexithymia neither affects social loneliness nor life satisfaction, but it predicts health; suppressing and faking emotions do influence negative felt affect, health, and emotional loneliness, but not positive felt affect nor social loneliness.