The Role of Emotional Regulation in Academic Performance and Relationship Satisfaction among Young Adults

Abstract

Emotion regulation plays a crucial role in young adults’ academic performance and relationship satisfaction, especially during their formative years in higher education. The current study focused on two key emotion regulation strategies: cognitive reappraisal, which involves reframing negative emotions positively, and expressive suppression, which entails concealing emotions. The primary objective of the study was to explore how cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression correlate with academic performance and relationship satisfaction in young adults. Utilizing standardized scales, such as the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ-S), the Academic Performance Scale (APS), and the Burns Relationship Satisfaction Scale (RSAT), these relationships were explored in a sample of 124 young adults (18-25 years) who are either currently enrolled in a university or recent graduates. The results indicated that cognitive reappraisal positively correlated with academic performance, suggesting that students who frequently reframe emotions tend to perform better academically. However, cognitive reappraisal did not significantly correlate with relationship satisfaction, indicating other interpersonal factors may play a more substantial role in this domain. Furthermore, expressive suppression showed no significant correlations with either academic performance or relationship satisfaction, suggesting its impact may be mitigated by other variables. These findings suggest that promoting cognitive reappraisal as a positive emotion regulation strategy can enhance academic outcomes, while interventions focusing on interpersonal skills, such as effective communication, may be more beneficial for improving relationship satisfaction. Future research could further explore the interplay between emotion regulation and other interpersonal variables to better understand their combined effects on young adults’ relationship satisfaction.