Regulating Emotions

Founder & Editor

Amelia Aldao is currently a 6th year graduate student in Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychology at Yale University and a Pre-doctoral Clinical Intern at New York Presbyterian Hospital / Weill Cornell Medical School. She has also trained at the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy in New York City. She received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Her program of research focuses on the role of affective processes in the onset, maintenance, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders. She adopts an emotion regulation framework and is particularly interested in the relationship between the use of emotion regulation strategies, such as acceptance, reappraisal, rumination, worry, suppression, and avoidance, and psychopathology. She is an experimental psychopathologist, which means she conducts experimental work utilizing a multi-method assessment, measuring subjective (i.e., thoughts, feelings), physiological (e.g., heart rate, vagal tone, skin conductance), and behavioral emotional domains.

Amelia created this website while envisioning a one-stop place for resources and information on emotion regulation. If you have comments, suggestions, or would like to contribute your work, please send an email to regulating.emotions.site@gmail.com

Selected Publications

2012

• Aldao, A., & Mennin, D. (2012). Pardoxical cardiovascular effects of implementing adaptive emotion regulation strategies in generalized anxiety disorder. Behaviour Research & Therapy, 50, 122-130.

• Aldao, A., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2012). When are adaptive strategies most predictive of psychopathology? Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 121, 276-281.

• De Los Reyes, A., Aldao, A., Kundey, S. M. A., Lee, B. G., & Molina, S. (2012). Compromised decision-making and the effects of manipulating physical states on human judgments. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 68, 1-7.

2011

• Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Aldao, A. (2011). Gender and age differences in emotion regulation strategies and their relationship to depressive symptoms. Personality and Individual Differences, 51, 704-708.

2010

• Aldao, A., & Mennin, D. S. (2010). Emotion. In I. B. Weiner & W. E. Craighead (Eds.) The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology (pp. 566-568). New York: Wiley.



• Aldao, A., Mennin, D. S., Linardatos, E., & Fresco, D. M. (2010). Differential patterns of physical symptoms and subjective processes in generalized anxiety disorder and unipolar depression. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 24, 250-259.



• Aldao, A., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2010). Specificity of cognitive emotion regulation strategies: A transdiagnostic examination. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48, 974-983.



• Aldao, A., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Schweizer, S. (2010). Emotion regulation strategies and psychopathology: A meta analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 30, 217-237.

Professional Talks

2011

• Aldao, A., Wright, E., Kerns, C., & Mennin, D. S. (2011, November). “Perceived efficacy of spontaneous emotion regulation strategies in generalized anxiety disorder.” K. Dixon-Gordon & A. Aldao (Chairs), How we think about how we feel: Beliefs about emotions and emotion regulation. Annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Toronto, Canada.



• Bylsma, L. M., Aldao, A., Mennin, D. S., Salomon, K., & Rottenberg, J. (2011, November). “A meta-analysis of respiratory sinus arrhythmia in anxiety disorders.” J. Flynn (Chair), Psychophysiological biomarkers of distress disorders: Improving diagnostic classification and informing treatment. Annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Toronto, Canada.



• Dixon-Gordon, K., & Aldao, A. (2011, November). Chair, Symposium titled How we think about how we feel: Beliefs about emotions and emotion regulation. (Panelists: Lauren Bylsma, Alex Chapman, Caroline Kerns, Robert L. Leahy, Brett Marroquin, Douglas S. Mennin, Regina Miranda, Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, Jonathan Rottenberg, Brianna Turner, Kris Walters, Elena Wright). Annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Toronto, Canada.



• Mennin, D. S., Aldao, A., McLaughlin, K., & Rottenberg, J. (2011, November). “Differential physiological patterns of emotional responding in generalized anxiety disorder as a function of comorbid MDD.” J. Flynn (Chair), Psychophysiological biomarkers of distress disorders: Improving diagnostic classification and informing treatment. Annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Toronto, Canada.



• Aldao, A., & Mennin, D. S. (2011, March). Implementing treatment-relevant emotion regulation strategies in generalized anxiety disorder: The paradoxical physiological effects of acceptance and reappraisal. Presented at the annual meeting of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA), New Orleans, LA.



• Chaplin, T., & Aldao, A., (2011 March). Gender differences in emotion expression in children: A meta-analytic review. Presented at the Emotions Preconference event at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research on Child Development (SRCD), Montreal, Canada.



• Mennin, D. S., Aldao, A., McLaughlin, K., & Rottenberg, J. (2011, March). “The impact of comorbid MDD on physiological and subjective emotional responding in generalized anxiety disorder.” D. S. Mennin & G. Hajcak (Chairs), Are GAD and MDD distinct? Utilizing laboratory methodologies to address diagnostic convergence and divergence. Presented at the annual meeting of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA), New Orleans, LA.



• Aldao, A., Wright, E., Kerns, C., & Mennin, D. S. (2011, November). “Perceived efficacy of spontaneous emotion regulation strategies in generalized anxiety disorder.” K. Dixon-Gordon & Aldao, A., (Chairs), How we think about how we feel: Beliefs about emotions and emotion regulation. To be presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Toronto, Canada.



• Bylsma, L. M., Aldao, A., Mennin, D.S., Salomon, K., & Rottenberg, J. (2011, November). “A meta-analysis of respiratory sinus arrhythmia in anxiety disorders.” J. Flynn (Chair), Psychophysiological biomarkers of distress disorders: Improving diagnostic classification and informing treatment. To be presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Toronto, Canada.



• Dixon-Gordon, K., & Aldao, A., (2011, November). Chair, Symposium titled How we think about how we feel: Beliefs about emotions and emotion regulation. (Panelists: Lauren Bylsma, Alex Chapman, Caroline Kerns, Robert L. Leahy, Brett Marroquin, Douglas S. Mennin, Regina Miranda, Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, Jonathan Rottenberg, Brianna Turner, Kris Walters, Elena Wright). To be presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Toronto, Canada.



• Mennin, D. S., Aldao, A., McLaughlin, K., & Rottenberg, J. (2011, November). “Differential physiological patterns of emotional responding in generalized anxiety disorder as a function of comorbid MDD.” J. Flynn (Chair), Psychophysiological biomarkers of distress disorders: Improving diagnostic classification and informing treatment. To be presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Toronto, Canada.

2010

• Aldao, A., & Mennin, D. S. (2010, June). “Acceptance and reappraisal in generalized anxiety disorder: A multi-modal experimental manipulation.” S. Schonfeld (Chair), Emotion avoidance in disorders with recurrent negative thinking (GAD and depression) – from the lab to the therapy room. Presented at the World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (WCBCT), Boston, MA.



• Mennin, D. S., Aldao, A., McLaughlin, K., & Rottenberg, J. (2010, June). “Physiological indices of emotion reactivity and dysregulation in generalized anxiety disorder.” A. Ruscio (Chair), Advances in the experimental study of worry and generalized anxiety disorder: Papers in honor of Tom Borkovec. Presented at the World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (WCBCT), Boston, MA.



• Aldao, A., & Dixon-Gordon, K. (2010, November). Chair. Symposium titled Experimental manipulations of emotion regulation strategies across the diagnostic spectrum. (Panelists: Alex Chapman, Kirsten Gilbert, Iris Mauss, Douglas S. Mennin, Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, & Allison S. Troy). Presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), San Francisco, CA.



• Aldao, A., & Mennin, D. S. (2010, November). “Experimental manipulation of regulatory strategies in generalized anxiety disorder: A multi-modal comparison of acceptance and reappraisal.” A. Aldao & K. Dixon-Gordon (Chairs), Experimental manipulations of emotion regulation strategies across the diagnostic spectrum. Presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), San Francisco, CA.

2009

• Aldao, A., Mennin, D. S., Kerns, C., Linardatos, E., & Fresco, D. M. (2009, March). “Emotion intensity in generalized anxiety disorder: A framework to increase specificity with major depressive disorder.” L. Marques (Chair), Emotion regulation in anxiety disorders: Affect, cognition, and emotions. Presented at the annual meeting of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA), Tamaya, NM.



• Mennin, D. S., Aldao, A., & McLaughlin, K. (2009, November). “Contributions of trait and state rumination and worry to emotion dysregulation in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder.” H. Hazlett-Stevens (Chair), Looking across diagnostic category: The relationship between emotion regulation, chronic anxiety, and interpersonal functioning. Presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), New York, NY.

2008

• Aldao, A., & Mennin, D. S. (2008, March). Emotion dysregulation in generalized anxiety disorder: The role of emotion intensity. Presented at Clinical Lunch Talk Series, Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT.



• Aldao, A., & Mennin, D. S. (2008, October). Using subjective processes and physical symptoms to distinguish generalized anxiety disorder and depression. Presented at Clinical Lunch Talk Series, Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT.



• Aldao, A., Mennin, D. S., Linardatos, E., & Fresco, D. M. (2008, November). “Using novel and subjective processes and physical symptoms to distinguish generalized anxiety disorder and depression.” E. Linardatos (Chair), Walking the fault line between GAD and major depression: Finding the factors that distinguish GAD from MDD. Presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Orlando, FL.

Poster Presentations

2011

• Aldao, A., Tull, M. T., Gratz, K., & Mennin, D. S. (2011, November). The behavioral approach system and the generation and regulation of emotion in generalized anxiety disorder. Annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Toronto, Canada.



• Daruwala, S., Goepel, K., Thomas, S. A., Aldao, A., Swan, A. J., Van Wic, M.,...De Los Reyes, A. (2011, November). Using the subtle avoidance frequency examination (SAFE) to distinguish between adolescents referred and not referred for social anxiety screening. Child Anxiety Special Interest Group at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Toronto, Canada.



• De Los Reyes, A., Aldao, A., Kundey, S. M. A., Lee, B. G., & Molina, S. (2011, November). Compromised decision-making and the effects of manipulating physical states on human judgments. To be presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Toronto, Canada.



• Aldao, A., & Mennin, D. S. (2011, May). Paradoxical cardiovascular effects of adaptive emotion regulation strategies in generalized anxiety disorder. Presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), Washington, DC. Won SSCP Student Poster Award ($200).



• Chaplin, T., & Aldao, A. (2011, May). Gender differences in child emotion expression depend on context and age. Presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), Washington, DC.



• De Los Reyes, A., Aldao, A., Kundey, S.M.A., Lee, B.G., & Molina, S. (2011, May). Compromised decision-making and the effects of manipulating physical states on human judgments. Presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), Washington, DC.



• Wright, E. E., Aldao, A., Kerns, C., & Mennin, D. S. (2011, May). Pain threshold as a function of generalized anxiety disorder and pain tolerance. Presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), Washington, DC.



• Aldao, A., Tull, M. T., Gratz, K., & Mennin, D. S. (2011, November). The behavioral approach system and the generation and regulation of emotion in generalized anxiety disorder. To be presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Toronto, Canada.



• De Los Reyes, A., Aldao, A., Kundey, S.M.A., Lee, B.G., & Molina, S. (2011, November). Compromised decision-making and the effects of manipulating physical states on human judgments. To be presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Toronto, Canada.

2010

• Aldao, A., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2010, June). Cognitive emotion regulation strategies and symptoms of eating disorders, alcohol use, depression, and anxiety. Presented at the World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (WCBCT), Boston, MA.



• Aldao, A., Wright, E., & Mennin, D. S. (2010, March). Magnitude and direction of change in sleep and appetite patterns differentiate generalized anxiety disorder from unipolar depressive disorders. Presented at the annual meeting of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA), Baltimore, MD.



• Mennin, D. S., & Aldao, A. (2010, March). Differentiating generalized anxiety disorder from depressive disorders: A meta analysis. Presented at the annual meeting of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA), Baltimore, MD.

2009

• Aldao, A., & Mennin, D. S. (2009, November). Emotion regulation strategies in generalized anxiety disorder: Physiological and subjective effects of acceptance and reappraisal. Presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), New York, NY.



• Linardatos, E., Aldao, A., Kerns, C., Mennin, D. S., & Fresco, D. M. (2009, November). Distinct and overlapping patterns of emotion regulation and cognitive reactions in generalized anxiety disorder and depression. Presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), New York, NY.



• Pantalon, M. V., Aldao, A., Gearhardt, A., Brandes, L., Parkhouse, T., Varanelli, H., et al. (2009, November). Can probation officers be trained to use brief motivational interviewing? A training outcome study. Presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), New York, NY.

2008

• Aldao, A., De Los Reyes, A., Borelli, J., & Mennin, D. S. (2008, November). Childhood emotion regulation as an associative characteristic of informant discrepancies in clinical child assessment: A multi-informant comprehensive examination. Presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Orlando, FL.



• Kerns, C., Aldao, A., & Mennin, D. S. (2008, November). An emotion regulation framework to discriminate generalized anxiety from depression: The role of emotion intensity and management. Presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Orlando, FL.

2006

• Aldao, A., Chakravarthy, R., & Hunt, M. (2006, May). Psychopathology in emergency workers: A study on veterinarian rescue teams deployed during Hurricane Katrina. Presented at the Undergraduate Psychology Honors Poster Session at the U. of Pennsylvania.

2005

• Aldao, A., Chakravarthy, R., & Hunt, M. (2005, May). Personality traits and coping across medical specialties. Presented at the Undergraduate Psychology Honors Poster Session at the U. of Pennsylvania.



• Friedman, Z., Pollack, B., Aldao, A., Rozin, P, & Green, M. C. (2005, May). Identification and transportation with fictional narratives. Presented at the Psychology Honors Poster Session at the U. of Pennsylvania.

2004

• Aldao, A., Rozin, P., & Green, M. C. (2004, May). Effect of story detail on transportation and identification with fictional characters. Presented at the Undergraduate Psychology Honors Poster Session at the U. of Pennsylvania.



• Green, M. C., Rozin, P., Aldao, A., Pollack, B., & Small, A. (2004). Effect of story details on transportation into narrative worlds and identification with characters. Presented at the Society for Empirical Study of Literature, Alberta, Canada.