Changing Emotion with Emotion: The Best Sequence Depends on the Target Concern.
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| Title: | Changing Emotion with Emotion: The Best Sequence Depends on the Target Concern. |
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| Authors: | Nardone, Stephanie (AUTHOR), Baher, Tabarak (AUTHOR), Pascual-Leone, Antonio (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Cognitive Therapy & Research. Oct2025, Vol. 49 Issue 5, p920-933. 14p. |
| Subjects: | Cognitive psychology, Psychotherapy, Emotions, Anger, Sadness, Experimental groups |
| Abstract: | Background: Lingering anger and sadness about a interpersonal interaction is a common problem. However, resolving those feelings may depend on the sequence in which feelings are experienced. Method: Using 167 participants, two experimental groups were identified based on presenting emotional concern: individuals with predominantly lingering anger about an interpersonal interaction (i.e., angry group, n = 70), and individuals with predominantly lingering sadness about an interpersonal interaction (i.e., sad group, n = 97). Participants completed written interventions to facilitate anger and sadness in one of two randomly assigned conditions (i.e., anger-before-sadness condition or sadness-before-anger condition), which differed only by the order in which participants were guided to feel anger and sadness. Results: In the angry group, those guided to feel anger-before-sadness reported a greater decline in the intensity of their presenting anger than those guided to feel sadness-before-anger (d = − 0.56). In contrast, in the sad group, those guided to experience sadness-before-anger reported a greater decrease in lingering sadness than those guided to experience anger-before sadness (d = − 0.26). Conclusions: Strategically ordered sequence of emotion states seems to have a synergistic impact in facilitating change, which has implications for how therapists might best choose to guide client process in psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Background: Lingering anger and sadness about a interpersonal interaction is a common problem. However, resolving those feelings may depend on the sequence in which feelings are experienced. Method: Using 167 participants, two experimental groups were identified based on presenting emotional concern: individuals with predominantly lingering anger about an interpersonal interaction (i.e., angry group, n = 70), and individuals with predominantly lingering sadness about an interpersonal interaction (i.e., sad group, n = 97). Participants completed written interventions to facilitate anger and sadness in one of two randomly assigned conditions (i.e., anger-before-sadness condition or sadness-before-anger condition), which differed only by the order in which participants were guided to feel anger and sadness. Results: In the angry group, those guided to feel anger-before-sadness reported a greater decline in the intensity of their presenting anger than those guided to feel sadness-before-anger (d = − 0.56). In contrast, in the sad group, those guided to experience sadness-before-anger reported a greater decrease in lingering sadness than those guided to experience anger-before sadness (d = − 0.26). Conclusions: Strategically ordered sequence of emotion states seems to have a synergistic impact in facilitating change, which has implications for how therapists might best choose to guide client process in psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 01475916 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10608-025-10590-5 |
