Table 1.

Attachment-Relevant Emotion Regulation Strategies Identified by Integrating Theoretical Perspectives in the Attachment Literature and Evidence from the Emotion Regulation Literature

Emotion Regulation Strategies in Adulthood Identified by Attachment Theory	Emotion Regulation Strategies in Adulthood Based on Meta-Analysis	Attachment-Relevant Emotion Regulation strategies in Adult Conflict Interactions
Coregulation strategies: seeking proximity to close others in constructive and adaptive ways, and trusting that close others will provide responsive support	Adaptive engagement: problem-solving and behaviors that involve reappraising or accepting negative events/outcomes	Balanced-Regulation:  Balanced emotion: open, comfortable and self-assured expression and acknowledgement of emotions/feelings  Collaborative engagement: accepting joint responsibilities, encouraging the partner’s contribution to problem-solving, and operating as a team  Approach-oriented problem-solving: constructive, direct efforts to move forward and solve the problem without dwelling on the causes and consequences
Deactivating strategies: suppressing/minimizing negative emotions to limit the hurt and disappointment that is expected to occur when depending on close others	Disengagement: attempting to avoid or shift focus from an emotionally-relevant situation by using distraction, expressive suppression, or disengagement to minimize the impact of negative feelings	Hypo-Regulation:  Hypo-emotion expression: emotional elements of communication are muted and individual attempts to suppress or conceal his/her emotions  Avoidance/Disengagement: lack of engagement and dismissing approach to the problem  Superficial problem-solving: communication and any problem-solving is superficial, lacks depth, and ‘skims the surface’
Hyperactivating strategies: exacerbating negative emotional expressions and dependence on close others to re-establish and maintain others’ attention and care	Aversive cognitive perseveration: over-engagement with, or difficulty disengaging from, negative thoughts/feelings by ruminating, worrying, or avoiding negative experiences	Hyper-Regulation:  Hyper emotion expression: exaggerated emotional expressions and pulling emotions from the partner  Ruminative problem engagement: fixating on and amplifying the symptoms, causes and consequences of the problem, and one’s own thoughts/feelings  Self-focused orientation: focusing on own desires and needs, such as being heard and cared for by the partner