An Examination of the Relationship Between Emotion Regulation and Psychological Recovery in Sports
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70736/spjses.306Keywords:
Athlete psychology, cognitive reappraisal, emotion regulation, , psychological recovery, suppressionAbstract
This study aims to examine the predictive role of athletes’ emotion regulation strategies, specifically cognitive reappraisal and suppression, on psychological recovery. The high emotional intensity and stress inherent in sports environments increase the importance of emotion regulation skills for athlete health and psychological recovery. The research was conducted using a correlational research design, with data collected from 408 licensed athletes aged 17-25 who actively engage in sports in Istanbul. Participants were selected through criterion sampling, a type of purposive sampling method. Data were gathered using the Emotion Regulation Scale for Athletes and Sport Psychological Recovery Scale. Independent samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression analyses were applied to the data. Findings revealed that cognitive reappraisal significantly and positively predicted psychological recovery, whereas suppression negatively predicted it. Significant differences in psychological recovery levels were found with respect to certain demographic variables such as gender, type of sport, and years of sports experience, while no significant differences were observed for emotional strain and psychological support variables. These results highlight the critical role of emotion regulation strategies in athlete health and well-being.
References
Aldao, A., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Schweizer, S. (2010). Emotion-regulation strategies across psychopathology: A meta-analytic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(2), 217-237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2009.11.004
Anuar, N., Cumming, J., & Williams, S. (2016). Emotion regulation predicts imagery ability. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 36(3), 254–269. https://doi.org/10.1177/0276236616662200
Beckmann, J., & Kellmann, M. (2004). Self-regulation and recovery: Approaching an understanding of the process of recovery from stress. Psychological Reports, 95(3), 1135-1153. https://doi.org/ 10.2466/pr0.95.3f.1135-1153
Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2022). Sosyal bilimler için veri analizi el kitabı: İstatistik, araştırma deseni, SPSS uygulamaları ve yorum (29. Baskı). Pegem Akademi.
Campbell-Sills, L., Barlow, D. H., Brown, T. A., & Hofmann, S. G. (2006). Effects of suppression and acceptance on emotional responses of individuals with anxiety and mood disorders. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44(9), 1251-1263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2005.10.001
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences (2nd Ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
Durand-Bush, N., & Salmela, J. H. (2002). The development and maintenance of expert athletic performance: Perceptions of world and Olympic champions. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 14(3), 154-171. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200290103473
Eldeleklioğlu, J., ve Eroğlu, Y. (2015). A Turkish adaptation of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. International Journal of Human Sciences, 12(1), 1157-1168.
Erkuş, A. (2021). Davranış bilimleri için bilimsel araştırma süreci (7. Baskı). Seçkin Yayıncılık.
Fernández-Berrocal, P., & Extremera, N. (2006). Emotional intelligence: A theoretical and empirical review of its first 15 years of history. Psicothema, 18, 7-12.
Gould, D., Dieffenbach, K., & Moffett, A. (2002). Psychological characteristics and their development in Olympic champions. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 14(3), 172-204. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200290103482
Gross, J. J. (1998). The emerging field of emotion regulation: An integrative review. Review of General Psychology, 2(3), 271-299. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.2.3.271
Gross, J. J., & John, O. P. (2003). Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: implications for affect, relationships, and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(2), 348. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.2.348
John, O. P., & Gross, J. J. (2004). Healthy and unhealthy emotion regulation: Personality processes, individual differences, and life span development. Journal of Personality, 72(6), 1301-1334. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2004.00298.x
Kara, M., Ogras, E. B., Talaghir, L. G., Iconomescu, T. M., & Gumus, H. (2025). Mental fatigue and return to well-being in athletes: Roles of cognitive reappraisal, gender, and alcohol consumption. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1569973. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1569973
Kayğusuz, Ş., & Karagözoğlu, C. (2023). Sporda psikolojik toparlanma ölçeği (SPTÖ) geliştirme çalışması. Spor Bilimleri Araştırmaları Dergisi, 8(2), 157-174. https://doi.org/10.25307/jssr.1192861
Kellmann, M., & Kallus, K. W. (2001). Recovery-stress questionnaire for athletes. In The Recovery-Stress Questionnaires (pp. 76-136). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1037/t55245-000
Kellmann, M., Bertollo, M., Bosquet, L., Brink, M., Coutts, A. J., Duffield, R., ... & Beckmann, J. (2018). Recovery and performance in sport: Consensus statement. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 13(2), 240-245. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2017-0759
Krane, V., & Williams, J. M. (2006). Psychological characteristics of peak performance. Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance, 5, 207-227.
Lane, A., Beedie, C., Jones, M. V., Uphill, M., & Devonport, T. (2012). The BASES expert statement on emotion regulation in sport. Journal of Sports Sciences, 30(11), 1189-1195. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2012.693621
Lazarus, R. S. (2000). Toward better research on stress and coping. American Psychologist, 55(6), 665-673. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.6.665
Martinent, G., Ledos, S., Ferrand, C., Campo, M., & Nicolas, M. (2015). Athletes’ regulation of emotions experienced during competition: A naturalistic video-assisted study. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 4(3), 188-205. https://doi.org/10.1037/spy0000034
Marušič, J., Dolenc, P., & Šarabon, N. (2020). Psychological aspect of rehabilitation and return to sport following lower limb injuries. Montenegrin Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 9(2), 59-64. https://doi.org/10.26773/mjssm.200902
Millán-Sánchez, A., Madinabeitia, I., de la Vega, R., Cárdenas, D., & Ureña, A. (2023). Effects of emotional regulation and impulsivity on sports performance: The mediating role of gender and competition level. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1164956. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1164956
Molina, V., Oriol, X., & Mendoza, M. (2018). Emotional regulation and physical recovery in young athletes of individual and collective sport modalities. Revista Internacional de Ciencias del Deporte, 14(53), 191-204. https://doi.org/10.5232/ricyde2018.05301
Moore, S. A., Zoellner, L. A., & Mollenholt, N. (2008). Are expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal associated with stress-related symptoms?. Behaviour research and therapy, 46(9), 993-1000. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2008.05.001
Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2012). Emotion regulation and psychopathology: The role of gender. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 8(1), 161-187. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032511-143109
Oriol, X.; Filella, G., & Gomila, M. (2014). Regulación emocional de los resultados adversos en competición: estrategias funcionales en deportes colectivos. Cuadernosde Psicología del Deporte, 14(1), 63-72.
Quan, G., Xiao, H., & Chen, Y. (2025). Exploring the mechanisms influencing psychological adaptation in athletes in high-risk sports: A moderated mediation model. Scientific Reports, 15, Article 2259. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86432-x
Robazza, C., Morano, M., Bortoli, L., & Ruiz, M. C. (2023).
Athletes’ basic psychological needs and emotions: the role of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression in psychobiosocial experiences. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1205102. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1205102
Tamres, L. K., Janicki, D., & Helgeson, V. S. (2002). Sex differences in coping behavior: A meta-analytic review and an examination of relative coping. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 6(1), 2-30. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327957PSPR0601_1
Tingaz, E. O., & Ekiz, M. A. (2021). Duygu düzenleme ölçeğinin sporcular için uyarlanması ve psikometrik özelliklerinin incelenmesi. Gazi Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 26(2), 301-313.
Troy, A. S., & Mauss, I. B. (2011). Resilience in the face of stress: Emotion regulation as a protective factor. Resilience and mental health: Challenges Across the Lifespan, 1(2), 30-44. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511994791.004
Watson, N. J., & Nesti, M. (2005). The role of spirituality in sport psychology consulting: An analysis and ıntegrative review of literature. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 17(3), 228-239. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200591010102
Zhao, X., Cai, Y., & Maes, J. H. R. (2023). Association between working memory updating ability and cognitive reappraisal: An investigation into a modulatory role of the individual's sex. PsyCh Journal, 12(2), 185–194. https://doi.org/10.1002/pchj.628
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Sportif Bakış: Spor ve Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
