Emotion regulation in extreme events Andy Lane, School of Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure University of Wolverhampton 1

Emotion regulation Emotion regulation is defined as: “the process of initiating, maintaining, modulating, or changing the occurrence, intensity, or duration of internal feeling states” (Eisenberg, Fabes, Guthrie & Reiser, 2000, p. 137).

Intrapersonal and interpersonal: Emotion Regulation Intrapersonal emotion regulation: Targeted at the person’s own feeling states Interpersonal emotion regulation: Targeted at another person’s feeling states

Target of regulation (Niven et al., 2009) Own emotion Others emotion Improve emotion Intrinsic emotion improving Extrinsic emotion improving Regulatory motives Intrinsic emotion worsening Extrinsic emotion worsening Worsen emotion

Dysfunctional emotion regulation intended to improve I hid my feelings to try to improve how I felt I avoided thinking about things to try to make myself feel better I wished I was someone else, to try to improve the way I felt I took my feelings out on others to try to improve how I felt I dwelt on thoughts and feelings to try to make myself feel better

Expected events and intense emotions Performing in front of large audiences e.g., musicians and dancers, (Petrides et al., 2006) Tasks with potentially dangerous consequences e.g., armed forces (Tenenbaum et al., 2008) Competitive sports (Beedie et al., 2000). Are you using Baumeister and Hanins work here to discuss emotion regulation leading up to and during expected events or are you saving that for slide 5?

Unexpected events and intense emotions People also have to regulate intense emotions in response to unexpected events Witnessing a frightening scene Being the target of anger Performing challenging tasks in extreme environments E.g., solo polar expedition, channel swimming, ultra-endurance sport Water-ski across the English Channel You could make the point that the unexpected can occur during familiar events, the following dialogue although not focused on emotions indicated that people perceive they experience more intense emotions with unexpected events (Netball players … as you would expect!). I don’t know if it is of use to you: Anna (U19 player) explained, “I think if you’ve got expected stressors then you kind of prepare yourself for it … so when it happens you can respond to it, there’s no need to be stressed about it ‘cause you’re ready.” Conversely, some players felt unexpected stress prevented anticipatory and preventative coping. For example, Louise (U19) suggests “when it’s just there it’s just your initial reaction whatever that might be, you’ve got no time to think about how you would react to something”. Within focus group 3, two players believed their reactions to unexpected stress were more extreme than they would otherwise be with an expected stressor. Kirsty (U17): “Straight away you get madder quicker Bethany (U19): Yeah I think you get an extreme reaction to it because, I guess you just weren’t planning on it happening”.

Recent research findings: Emotional regulation strategies and emotions Recent research shows strategies to enhance own emotions is helpful during potentially stressful situations Runners (Lane et al,, 2010) Dyads (Devonport & Lane, 2010) Athletes (Davis, Lane, & Devonport, 2009) Strategies intended to worsen associate with unpleasant emotions Dysfunctional strategies trigger other regulation strategies and unpleasant emotion

Aims This presentation focuses on emotion regulation strategies and emotions during extreme events Polar exploration Ride of Across America Cycle race

Story of an explorer: North and South Pole Expeditions Female explorer, aged 43 South Pole expedition (Pedlar et al., 2007; Lloyd et al., 2007). 44 day expedition North Pole expedition (Devonport et al., 2010) 84 day and 525 kilometers

Methods Explorer completed emotion diary daily using the Brunel Mood Scale (Terry et al., 2003) Open-end responses Post-expedition interviews conducted to explore coping and emotional responses

Results: Extreme fluctuations in emotions

Results: Use of emotion regulation strategies Frequent use of strategies intended to enhance own emotions Awareness of how interaction with others influences own emotion and other emotions Awareness of potential damaging effects of: Strategies to worsening own emotion; Dysfunctional emotion regulation

Training strategies to manage emotions Anticipating feelings during extreme conditions and training in the cold (performance accomplishments, Bandura, 1997) “I was being prepared very realistically to react to certain situations, it wasn’t always the serenity of the gym…it was in the dark, in the cold or basically uncomfortable, when one wasn’t in the mood or feeling tired because that was how it was going to be. I had to prove to myself that I could do that and not lose focus on the end goal

Improving own emotions Caring about yourself like a dear friend: coping with front bite: “I pretended it wasn’t my foot, but I was very fond of that foot so I always treated it with great affection and care, and that helped me disembody myself from the nastiness”.

Regulating Others and Own emotions Enhancing own and others emotions “I spoke to my partner several times which I’ve never done on an expedition before because I didn’t want that emotional tug back all that time”. “We had to talk practicalities because of the support team problems arising”.

Avoiding use of dysfunctional and worsening strategies “you must be careful not to slip into a victim mentality’. “both had a voice in our head that would go ‘why me’ ‘why me’ you know, and you remembered all the pictures of more recent expeditions and they didn’t seem to have it like you’d had it”.

Take home message Proactive effort to engage in strategies intended to enhance own emotions Conscious rationalisation of potentially negative effects of using strategies intended to worsen emotion

Method Riders (N = 4) and support crew (N = 14) completed measures of emotions and emotional intelligence before RAAM Riders data collected after each ride (3 hour or 6 hour block) Rider completed retrospective measures of emotion and regulation strategies used post-event.

Baseline data High tension, vigour and moderate anger associated with best performance. Higher anger associated with poor performance

Rider 1: Emotional intelligence Relatively low scores for belief that he can manage and use own emotions

Emotional changes during riding Positive emotional profile reported on day 1, 3, & 4 High scores for high arousal unpleasant emotions (days 2, 6 & 7) Days

Performance related emotions “My first big decent downhill in California - 25miles of hairpin madness” “62 miles per hour - lost the support vehicle behind - overtook 30 cars on the wrong side of the road” – no pedalling - flat out pure joy – so much gravel on the road almost went down once - very scary, in fact the closest I have ever come to death without exaggeration - Just magic!!

Unpleasant emotions from relationships with crew “From my experience in the Army, I am very used to brash and uncompromising people, however, you must believe that the individual you are following is making the right decisions”. “I resented that fact that some of the crew had done this before and I had to accept that their opinion was gospel.”

Emotional profile of Person X

Emotional intelligence of person X

Unpleasant emotions from relations with sport scientists YYY had organised behind my back letters to be written by WIFE and BABY, so that he could give them to me at certain times throughout the race. Whilst the other riders liked this, I fxxxx hated it. It was bad enough that I spend enough time away from home, to be reminded about that fact that my wife and Baby are at home alone whilst I gallivant around America made me feel incredibly guilty and sad. I felt pure anger towards YYY for doing this behind my back. When I go away I put my wife and kids to the back of my mind until I can focus on them properly - how dare he do this when I am f****d and trying to cope with the task in hand.

Take Home message Rider prepared for emotional response to riding event and task related challenges but not relationship challenges Social support from people who have developed a solid relational footing was treated negatively.

Conclusion Performing in extreme conditions requires emotional control Anticipating the range of potential stressors and considering was to positively respond is desirable Engaging in strategies to raise emotions are desirable

Thank-you for listening