Original scientific paper

AGE AND GENDER DIFFERENCES IN AFFECT REGULATION STRATEGIES

Ljiljana KALITERNA LIPOVČAN orcid.org/0000-0002-2662-3156 ; Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb
Zvjezdana PRIZMIĆ orcid.org/0000-0003-0171-4171 ; Washington University, St. Louis, USA
Renata FRANC orcid.org/0000-0002-1909-2393 ; Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb

Abstract

The purpose of study was to examine gender and age
differences in average use of affect regulation strategies in a
representative sample of Croatian citizens. There were 891
subjects divided in four age groups: young, middle-age,
aged and older adults. The affect regulation strategies were
described by seven behavioral and cognitive strategies that
people use to regulate their negative feelings in everyday
life. For analyses of gender and age differences in use of
affect regulation strategies MANOVA was performed with
gender and age groups as independent variables and affect
regulations strategies as dependent variables. Significant
multivariate main effects for both variables were found.
Females used more venting strategies than males, which
could be partly explained by the social component involved
in that group of regulation strategies. Females appeared
more likely to engage in rumination strategies than males,
which is in accord with findings in the depression and
rumination literature. Results also showed significant decline
in the use of particular strategies by age. There was only one
significant interaction between gender and age. Young,
middle and aged females used significantly more
venting/expressing than males, while for old age females
and males the use of this strategy did not differ.

Keywords

affect regulation; positive affects; negative affects; age; gender

Hrčak ID:

45799

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/45799

Publication date:

29.12.2009.

Article data in other languages: croatian german

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