Abstract

In this study, the emotion regulation process in the relationship between affect intensity and depression was investigated, focusing on emotion malleability beliefs and rumination strategies. To understand the emotion regulation process that occurs when affect intensity affects depression, the sequential mediating effect of the emotion malleability beliefs and emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between affect intensity and depression was examined. One-hundred thirty-nine college and graduate students participated in the survey, and the relationships between negative affect intensity, positive affect intensity, emotion malleability beliefs, brooding, positive rumination, and depression were examined by using correlation analysis and sequential mediating effects were confirmed through path analysis. The results of the analysis indicated a negative correlation between emotion malleability beliefs and negative affect intensity, brooding, and depression. The emotion malleability beliefs and brooding sequentially mediated the relationship between negative affect intensity and depression. In other words, when negative affect intensity was higher, depression increased by weaker emotion malleability beliefs and more brooding. The direct effect of negative affect intensity on depression was not significant, while the indirect effect via emotion malleability beliefs, brooding, and both variables were significant. However, positive affect intensity and positive rumination did not significantly correlate with emotion malleability beliefs and depression. In addition, for the male group, the path from emotion malleability beliefs to brooding and the path from negative affect intensity to depression through emotion malleability beliefs and brooding were not significant. The implications and limitations of the study, and suggestions for future study were discussed.