Emotional Stability Starts Within: The CEF Path to Inner Balance

 

When emotions feel chaotic, stability can seem out of reach. The Core Emotion Framework (CEF) introduces a structured, science-backed approach to emotional regulation that goes beyond surface-level coping. By identifying and reprocessing core emotional distortions, CEF empowers individuals to regain control, reduce reactivity, and experience a grounded sense of self—no matter what life throws their way.

 

Mastering Emotional Stability: The Functional Path to Resilience and Adaptive ResponseAn Examination of Letter Morphology and Psychoanalytic Concepts in Graphology

 

 

Emotional stability is not about suppressing feelings, but mastering adaptive emotion regulation. This comprehensive report introduces the Core Emotion Framework (CEF), which defines ten crucial emotional functions—from initial Sensing to final Accepting—that govern effective self-advocacy and conflict resolution.³⁶ By engaging these functions in their

detangled (mindful and constructive) state, individuals can achieve psychological flexibility and utilize the inherent utility of every emotion to guide value-aligned actions , ensuring consistent resilience and personal growth.

 

 

 

I. The Core Emotion Framework: A Blueprint for Adaptive Emotional Function

 

For decades, the goal of emotional well-being has been clouded by the impulse to control or eliminate difficult feelings. However, true resilience stems from the ability to use emotion constructively. This analysis applies the innovative principles of the Core Emotion Framework (CEF) to emotional stability, providing a clear, functional roadmap for transforming impulsive emotional reactions into deliberate, adaptive responses.³⁶

 

 

A. The Conceptual Shift: From Emotional Control to Functional Emotional Utility

 

The pursuit of emotional stability often rests upon a fundamental misconception: that stability is achieved through the elimination or rigid control of negative affect. Contemporary psychological theory, however, emphasizes a more nuanced, functionalist perspective.¹ Within this paradigm, emotional stability is defined not by the absence of emotional experience, but rather by the capacity for adaptive responsiveness—the skill of utilizing emotional information to guide behaviors and facilitate the achievement of goals aligned with core personal values.¹ This functionalist view contrasts sharply with earlier conceptualizations of emotion regulation (ER) that focused primarily on the down-regulation of negative emotions or the enhancement of positive ones, advocating instead for an adaptive approach that capitalizes on the utility inherent in all emotional signals.¹

 

The Core Emotion Framework (CEF) provides a structural model for operationalizing this functional utility through ten specific competencies, ranging from initial perception (Sensing) to final resolution (Accepting). The central premise of the CEF lies in the distinction between the 'detangled' state and the 'entangled' state of these functions. The detangled state represents the mindful, constructive, and goal-directed application of the emotion's inherent function. Conversely, the entangled state signifies an impulsive, distorted, or maladaptive utilization of that function, often leading to psychological distress and goal obstruction. The ten functions—Sensing, Calculating, Deciding, Expanding, Constricting, Achieving, Arranging, Appreciating, Boosting, and Accepting—track a complete cycle of conflict resolution and self-advocacy, from the moment an emotional stimulus is encountered to the final integration of the experience.

 

 

B. Emotional Stability as Psychological Flexibility

 

The successful engagement of the detangled functions across the entire CEF spectrum culminates in the robust clinical concept of psychological flexibility. This concept, central to third-wave behavioral therapies like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), describes the ability to contact the present moment fully, whether that experience is pleasant or unpleasant, and, based on that contact, choose behaviors guided by one's values.³

 

Emotional stability, when viewed through this lens, becomes the ultimate motivational outcome of consistent detangled function.⁴ It is not a passive trait but a dynamic, active process requiring continuous effort and skill deployment. If emotions serve as necessary functional tools¹, then stability is achieved through the proficient and adaptive use of those tools across varying contexts. The academic literature supports the view that ER is intrinsically a motivated process involving both the setting of goals and the striving to achieve those desired end-states.⁴

 

Thus, the achievement functions within the CEF—particularly Achieving and Boosting—operationalize this required striving, demonstrating that emotional stability is solidified through consistent, value-aligned behavioral effort, not merely through internal mental modification.⁵ This capacity for flexible response, driven by clarity in one's values and effective strategy deployment, enables an individual to utilize diverse regulatory strategies depending on the demands of the context.⁶

 

 

 

II. Academic Foundations: Mapping CEF to Core Regulation Models

 

A. Gross’s Process Model and the Antecedent/Response Dichotomy

 

To establish the academic validity of the CEF functions, the framework must be mapped onto established temporal models of emotion regulation. James Gross’s Process Model of Emotion Regulation provides a widely accepted structure that identifies five classes of strategies occurring at different points in the emotional experience: situation selection, situation modification, attentional deployment, cognitive change, and response modulation. This model categorizes regulation efforts into two main phases: antecedent-focused strategies, which occur before the emotion is fully activated, and response-focused strategies, which modify the emotional experience or expression after it has fully developed.⁷

 

The structure of the CEF aligns comprehensively with this temporal process. The initial functions—Sensing, Calculating, Deciding, and Arranging—primarily operate as antecedent strategies. They are deployed to alter the objective situation or, more commonly, the subjective interpretation (appraisal) of the situation before the full emotional response dictates behavior.⁸ Conversely, the action and resolution functions—Constricting, Expanding, Achieving, Boosting, Appreciating, and Accepting—represent response-focused strategies. These functions are concerned with modulating the physiological, behavioral, or experiential components of the emotional response after the event has been fully processed (e.g., through physical suppression, assertive response modulation, or experiential acceptance).⁸

 

 

B. Cognitive Appraisal Theory and the Primary Filter

 

The efficacy of the CEF’s antecedent functions is deeply rooted in Cognitive Appraisal Theory, primarily advanced by Richard Lazarus. This theory posits that emotions do not arise directly from external stimuli but rather from an individual’s interpretation and evaluation of those stimuli.¹⁰ This cognitive appraisal process involves crucial steps: primary appraisal (assessing the event’s significance, relevance, and congruence with one's goals) and secondary appraisal (evaluating one's ability to cope with the event).¹⁰ For example, if an eliciting event is interpreted as blocking a goal, the resulting emotion is typically anger.¹²

 

The initial functions of Sensing and Calculating directly reflect the optimization of this appraisal process. The success of detangled function in these early stages ensures that the subjective evaluation of the event is realistic and rational, thereby preventing the misinterpretation that fuels hostile and distorted emotional responses.

 

This early, adaptive intervention is critical, as failure in these antecedent functions exponentially increases the likelihood of catastrophic failure in subsequent, response-focused functions.

 

If Entangled Sensing misinterprets neutral information as hostile, the subsequent Calculating function receives corrupted, "distorted data," leading inevitably toward ruminative planning instead of constructive reappraisal. This initial failure in assessment cascades into rash or aggressive Deciding and explosive Boosting, functionally confirming the hostile reality initially perceived. This sequence underscores the necessity of adaptive front-loading (Sensing and Calculating) to maintain systemic emotional stability.

 

 

C. Adaptive vs. Maladaptive Strategy Use

 

A vast body of academic research supports the distinction between adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies. Adaptive strategies, often termed engagement strategies (e.g., cognitive reappraisal, problem-solving), are consistently associated with decreased psychopathology and improved functioning. Conversely, avoidance strategies (e.g., rumination, suppression) are linked to heightened distress.¹³

 

The CEF serves as a comprehensive functional checklist of adaptive engagement. The 'detangled' states map precisely onto these adaptive strategies, maximizing functional efficacy. In contrast, the 'entangled' states reflect classic maladaptive mechanisms.¹⁵ These include hostile rumination (Entangled Calculating), emotional suppression (Entangled Appreciating), conflict avoidance (Entangled Accepting), and failed impulse control (Entangled Boosting/Deciding). By defining the specific functional competencies necessary for stability, the CEF provides a structured method for moving away from these known maladaptive approaches.

 

 

 

III. Stage 1: Assessment and Pre-Action Processing (Sensing, Calculating)

 

A. Functional Pillar: Initial Data Acquisition and Non-Judgmental Awareness (Sensing)

 

The Sensing function initiates the regulatory cycle by focusing on the awareness and accurate perception of the emotional stimulus—a boundary violation, an injustice, or an unmet need. In its detangled state, Sensing embodies the concept of mindful perception. It requires perceiving the event and associated internal states, such as physical sensations, without the immediate imposition of judgment.⁶ This non-judgemental stance is essential because it anchors the individual in the present moment, avoiding automatic and reactive forms of processing. This is fundamentally an antecedent-focused strategy, similar to attentional deployment, where the focus is managed to ensure clarity of input. The development of mindfulness improves self-regulation by altering brain regions involved in emotional processing (amygdala and prefrontal cortex), thereby increasing cognitive flexibility and fostering an open perspective in interpreting reality.⁶

 

When the function is entangled, Sensing devolves into appraisal bias and hyper-vigilance. Instead of objectively registering a stimulus, the individual becomes hyper-vigilant for slights and insults, frequently misinterpreting neutral cues as inherently hostile.¹¹ This state is characterized by feeding the emotional system, in this case anger, with distorted or biased data. This dysfunctional data acquisition, where negative emotions like anger are correlated with reduced performance and engagement¹⁶, confirms the Cognitive Appraisal Theory tenet that faulty interpretation precedes and drives dysfunctional emotional responses.¹² The ability to stabilize the attentional system (Detangled Sensing) is thus the necessary precondition for successful cognitive control later in the cycle.

 

 

B. Functional Pillar: Cognitive Structuring and Strategic Reappraisal (Calculating)

 

Following the initial acquisition of objective data, the Calculating function manages the cognitive assessment of the situation. The detangled state of Calculating is synonymous with the highly adaptive and empirically supported strategy of cognitive reappraisal or cognitive change.⁸ This involves logically assessing the situation, weighing the consequences of various potential responses, and deliberately formulating a constructive, assertive course of action. Cognitive reappraisal is a potent antecedent-focused strategy because it requires the individual to reinterpret the emotion-inducing event, changing its subjective meaning and emotional impact through a rational cognitive process.⁹ This skill in mentally reframing situations is a known predictor of greater emotional and academic success.¹⁸

 

The entangled state, however, traps the individual in the pathology of angry rumination. Instead of strategically planning, the individual gets stuck in an internal, repetitive loop, replaying the offense endlessly, or engaging in vengeful plotting.

 

Rumination is recognized as a maladaptive cognitive strategy often used in a misguided attempt to avoid unwanted internal experiences or seek emotional clarity.Despite this intention, rumination perversely magnifies and perpetuates negative emotions.¹⁹ This failure of cognitive structuring is a core component of psychological distress, heavily associated with experiential avoidance and difficulties in emotion regulation linked to conditions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).¹⁵ The necessity of successful Detangled Sensing is magnified here, as objective data acquisition is required to enable effective reappraisal (Detangled Calculating). Rumination, therefore, manifests as a failure of both initial attentional deployment and subsequent cognitive control, predicated on the initial flawed input data.⁸

 

 

 

IV. Stage 2: Commitment, Motivation, and Constructive Action (Deciding, Arranging, Achieving, Boosting)

 

A. Functional Pillar: Goal-Alignment and Strategy Formulation (Deciding and Arranging)

 

Once the event has been appraised, the individual must commit to a path of action. Detangled Deciding involves translating the rational appraisal from Calculating into concrete goal setting.⁴ This step represents a crucial, value-aligned choice to address the source of the anger constructively, establishing a commitment to assertive action rather than impulsive reaction.

In its entangled state, Deciding fails through two primary mechanisms: impulse control failure, resulting in a rash, aggressive decision made in the heat of the moment; or conflict paralysis, where fear of confrontation becomes overwhelming, leading to emotional suppression and, ultimately, passive aggression.²⁰

 

The Detangled Arranging function is concerned with contextual management and prioritization. It establishes the necessary order out of emotional chaos by prioritizing addressing the conflict in an appropriate and timely manner. This management of context is essential for effective regulation.

 

Entangled Arranging manifests as a distorted priority, often resulting in obsessive focus on the original slight, consuming mental resources while neglecting other important tasks. This is a behavioral manifestation of the perseverative cognition seen in rumination.¹⁵ Alternatively, it can involve the suppression-driven behavior of de-prioritizing one's own valid emotional needs entirely.

 

 

B. Functional Pillar: Mobilizing Energy for Efficacy (Achieving and Boosting)

 

The functionalist view of emotion posits that anger, as a signal of goal obstruction¹², carries substantial energy. The subsequent CEF functions govern the channeling of this energy into action.

 

Detangled Achieving channels this functional energy into productive action, self-advocacy, and the pursuit of just outcomes.²¹ This is the essence of goal striving—the behavioral implementation of the goal set during Deciding.⁴ This motivational-coping strategy is supported by research emphasizing that goal striving and achievement are key components of adaptive emotion regulation.²⁰

 

When entangled, the goal of Achieving becomes corrupted. The focus shifts from constructive personal success or justice to hostile opposition—using anger to sabotage or undermine the achievements of others.⁵

 

Detangled Boosting is the mechanism of response mobilization, generating the necessary motivational strength and conviction to act assertively, speak one's truth, and stand up respectfully.²² Emotional mobilization is required to overcome inertia and successfully implement the chosen regulatory strategy.²⁰ This positive channeling of angry energy into purposeful action validates the functional perspective, recognizing that certain emotions, especially those signaling injustice, require

up-regulation into effortful, goal-directed behavior.²¹ The successful harnessing of this energy translates directly into emotional stability by ensuring goal attainment.⁵

 

Entangled Boosting represents a profound failure in modulating the physiological and behavioral components of the emotional response. The energy is either explosive and aggressively damaging or, conversely, completely suppressed by fear, resulting in total inaction and passivity.⁸ The failure here is the inability to exert impulse control over the highly activated response system.

 

 

 

V. Stage 3: Boundary Maintenance and Relational Dynamics (Constricting, Expanding)

 

A. Functional Pillar: Defining the Perimeter (Constricting)

 

The Constricting function is the direct expression of personal limits and boundaries in the face of perceived threat or injustice. Detangled Constricting defines and implements assertive boundary setting.²³ It utilizes the mobilized energy from Boosting to set firm, clear, and healthy limits that protect one's values and well-being. Assertiveness—expressing limits confidently while respecting others—is recognized as an essential, adaptive communication skill for navigating complex social environments and coping with stress.²³ This function acts as a crucial regulatory intersection, determining whether internal emotional processing (Calculating/Deciding) translates into constructive external social behavior (Achieving/Boosting).

 

The entangled state represents a breakdown of assertiveness, manifesting in two highly maladaptive forms. The first is uncontrolled, destructive aggression—an extreme, dysfunctional attempt to set a boundary that harms the self and others. The second is the total boundary collapse brought on by paralyzing fear of conflict, preventing any necessary limits from being established.²⁴ These failures demonstrate why successful emotion regulation relies on the capacity to employ constructive confrontation rather than hostile aggression or passive avoidance.²⁷

 

 

B. Functional Pillar: Maintaining Connection and Perspective (Expanding)

 

While Constricting focuses on the self's boundaries, Expanding addresses the connection to the other party. Detangled Expanding is the critical capacity to maintain empathy and perspective-taking, even while experiencing significant anger.²⁸ This skill allows the individual to consider the other person’s view, which facilitates co-regulation—the process by which effective conflict resolution remains relational and focused on mutual solutions rather than purely adversarial outcomes.²⁹

 

Entangled Expanding is characterized by a failure to maintain appropriate self-other boundaries. This can manifest as complete emotional merging or dehumanization. In the former, the individual over-extends to keep the peace, suppressing valid anger completely, which undermines the necessary assertion of personal desires for strong, resilient relational ties.²⁸ In the latter, the anger leads to aggression so intense that the individual "opens up all human boundaries," acting in a reckless, destructive manner that negates the relationship. Both modes destroy the potential for compassionate and effective conflict resolution.

 

 

 

VI. Stage 4: Closure, Acceptance, and Restoration (Accepting, Appreciating)

 

A. Functional Pillar: Letting Go and Non-Avoidance (Accepting)

 

The final phase of the ER cycle involves integrating the outcome and achieving emotional closure. Detangled Accepting is the operationalization of psychological acceptance.¹ It involves letting go of the anger and its associated emotional charge

after the emotion has served its purpose (i.e., driving constructive action or boundary setting). It also requires accepting outcomes that remain outside of one’s sphere of control.²¹ Acceptance, defined as an open, welcoming attitude toward one's own difficult emotions and thoughts³¹, is a cornerstone of psychological flexibility, preventing the individual from being captured by persistent distress.³

 

The entangled state is passive resignation and experiential avoidance. This is the failure to utilize acceptance adaptively, resulting instead in passive resignation where the individual accepts mistreatment and continuous boundary violations because the fear of conflict is too overwhelming.¹⁵ This passive acceptance prevents necessary self-advocacy and is clinically linked to high levels of experiential avoidance, which is strongly associated with sustained emotional distress and psychopathology.³¹ The success of Detangled Accepting is paramount for true emotional stability; its failure ensures the continued internal burden of unresolved injustice, preventing the system from achieving functional homeostasis.

 

 

B. Functional Pillar: Restoring Equilibrium and Harmony (Appreciating)

 

The final relational step is necessary to conclude the conflict constructively. Detangled Appreciating facilitates relational repair and the restoration of harmony after a conflict has been assertively and successfully resolved. This process of intentional recovery following a confrontation is critical for maintaining long-term relationship health, often utilizing principles of empathic dialogue found in approaches like Nonviolent Communication (NVC).³³ Studies show that the ability for couples to rebound and prevent negative affect from carrying forward is predictive of sustained relationships.³⁴ ACT interventions have also been demonstrated to be effective in improving conflict resolution styles.³⁵

 

Entangled Appreciating occurs when the individual’s compulsive need for harmony overrides the valid signal of anger. This forces the individual to "be nice" and enact premature suppression of unresolved feelings. This suppression prevents genuine relational repair and results in the anger festering beneath the surface, inevitably emerging later as passive aggression or sustained relational distress.²⁷ Therefore, detangled appreciation must follow, not precede, the constructive use of anger.

 

 

 

VII. Synthesis: The Ten Functions as an Integrated Model of Emotional Resilience

 

A. Mapping CEF Functions onto the Adaptive Process Cycle

 

The ten functions of the CEF, applied to emotional stability, constitute a comprehensive and systematic model for adaptive emotion regulation that cycles through four sequential phases:

 

• Phase I: Orienting and Appraisal (Sensing & Calculating): This is the foundation of the antecedent-focused strategy. It ensures clarity and objective assessment through mindful non-judgmental awareness (Sensing) and cognitive reappraisal (Calculating).
   
• Phase II: Strategic Commitment (Deciding & Arranging): This phase translates the clear appraisal into value-aligned motivational goal setting (Deciding) and organizes the context and priority for resolution (Arranging).
   
• Phase III: Assertive Execution (Constricting, Expanding, Achieving, Boosting): This is the response-focused action phase. Energy is mobilized (Boosting), boundaries are set assertively (Constricting), empathy is maintained (Expanding), and goals are striven for constructively (Achieving).
   
• Phase IV: Integration and Closure (Accepting & Appreciating): This final phase employs psychological flexibility, ensuring non-avoidance, acceptance of limits and external outcomes (Accepting), and the restoration of genuine relational harmony (Appreciating).

 

 

B. Emotional Stability Defined by Detangled Capacity

 

Emotional stability, when analyzed through the functional lens of the CEF, is characterized by the consistent, fluid capacity to engage the detangled response at each sequential functional step. It is the ability to choose the mindful, assertive, and value-aligned response over the impulsive, avoidant, or aggressive entangled response. The detangled state ensures that the inherent functional energy of the emotion, such as the motivating force of anger, is utilized as critical information to guide constructive behavior, rather than resulting in the individual being controlled by the emotion.¹

 

The robust nature of the CEF lies in its distributed functional resilience. Emotional stability is defined less by perfection and more by the capacity for self-correction and recovery. For instance, an initial functional error, such as Entangled Calculating leading to rumination, can be successfully mitigated by an adaptive function later in the cycle, specifically Detangled Accepting. In this scenario, the individual accepts the failure of the initial strategy (rumination) and lets go of the perpetual emotional capture, allowing the system to reset.¹⁹ This highlights Detangled Accepting and Appreciating as vital response modulation strategies that guarantee the system returns to functional homeostasis, even after earlier failures in appraisal or execution.

 

 

C. Clinical and Practical Implications of Functional Emotion Regulation

 

The Core Emotion Framework offers significant advantages for clinical and organizational development by shifting the focus from global emotion control difficulties to specific functional deficits. As a functional diagnostic tool, the model allows for the precise identification of the point of systemic failure. For example, if a client demonstrates proficiency in cognitive appraisal (Detangled Calculating) but consistently fails in setting limits (Entangled Constricting), the intervention focus is clearly delineated as assertive boundary training²³ rather than further cognitive restructuring.

 

This functional mapping validates the necessity of targeted interventions focusing on empirically supported skills across the emotion regulation spectrum. These necessary skills include the cultivation of mindfulness (Detangled Sensing) ⁶, the practice of cognitive reappraisal (Detangled Calculating) ¹⁸, the development of assertiveness (Detangled Constricting) ²⁴, and the fostering of psychological acceptance (Detangled Accepting).³ By structuring the regulation process into ten discrete, actionable competencies, the CEF provides a comprehensive, sequential protocol for building lasting emotional resilience and stability, grounded firmly in motivational and appraisal-based psychological theory.

 

 

Works cited

 

1. A clinically useful conceptualization of emotion regulation grounded in functional contextualism and evolutionary theory - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed September 28, 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9453920/
2. Emotion Regulation - CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATIONS - ResearchGate, accessed September 28, 2025, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ross-Thompson-4/publication/303248970_Emotion_Regulation_Conceptual_Foundations/links/57854a7908aef321de2a980b/Emotion-Regulation-Conceptual-Foundations.pdf
3. How Does Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (ACT) Work? - Positive Psychology, accessed September 28, 2025, https://positivepsychology.com/act-acceptance-and-commitment-therapy/
4. (PDF) Emotion Regulation Is Motivated - ResearchGate, accessed September 28, 2025, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338971524_Emotion_regulation_is_motivated
5. Motivation as Goal-Directed Behavior: The Effect of Decision-Making - ResearchGate, accessed September 28, 2025, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345810268_Motivation_as_Goal-Directed_Behavior_The_Effect_of_Decision-Making
6. Emotion Regulation, Stress, and Well-Being in Academic Education: Analyzing the Effect of Mindfulness-Based Intervention - PMC, accessed September 28, 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8382289/
7. Process Model of Emotion Regulation – Psychology of Human Emotion: An Open Access Textbook - The Pennsylvania State University, accessed September 28, 2025, https://psu.pb.unizin.org/psych425/chapter/process-model-of-emotion-regulation/
8. Appraisals, emotions and emotion regulation: An integrative approach - PMC, accessed September 28, 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2844958/
9. The effect of cognitive reappraisal and expression suppression on sadness and the recognition of sad scenes: An event-related potential study - Frontiers, accessed September 28, 2025, https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.935007/full
10. Richard Lazarus' Cognitive-Appraisal Theory - Psychology Fanatic, accessed September 28, 2025, https://psychologyfanatic.com/richard-lazarus-cognitive-appraisal-theory/
11. accessed September 28, 2025, https://psu.pb.unizin.org/psych425/chapter/cognitive-appraisal-theory/#:~:text=This%20view%20suggests%20that%20the,then%20we%20might%20experience%20fear.
12. Cognitive Appraisal Theory – Psychology of Human Emotion: An Open Access Textbook, accessed September 28, 2025, https://psu.pb.unizin.org/psych425/chapter/cognitive-appraisal-theory/

13. Adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies: Interactive effects during CBT for social anxiety disorder - PMC, accessed September 28, 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4089517/

14. examination of adaptive and maladaptive - Semantic Scholar, accessed September 28, 2025, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1f28/81d60265f6f66aa1fdf32612d49b3ff0c336.pdf
15. Does rumination mediate the relationship between emotion regulation ability and posttraumatic stress disorder? - PMC, accessed September 28, 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4147084/
16. Emotion-Aware Education Through Affective Computing and Learning Analytics: Insights from a Moroccan University Case Study - MDPI, accessed September 28, 2025, https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6470/5/3/45
17. Antecedent- and Response-Focused Emotion Regulation: Divergent Consequences for Experience, Expression, and Physiology - Wisebrain.org, accessed September 28, 2025, https://www.wisebrain.org/media/Papers/EmotionsAntecedencesResponesReg.pdf
18. Emotion Regulation as Predictor of Academic Performance in University Students, accessed September 28, 2025, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369014675_Emotion_Regulation_as_Predictor_of_Academic_Performance_in_University_Students
19. Trait acceptance predicts fewer daily negative emotions through less stressor-related rumination - PubMed Central, accessed September 28, 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5640455/
20. Strategies and goals in Emotion Regulation models: a systematic review - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed September 28, 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11479914/
21. EMOTION REGULATION STRATEGIES IN ACT - Contextual Consulting, accessed September 28, 2025, https://contextualconsulting.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Emotional-Regulation-in-ACT-Russ-Harris.pdf
22. Putting Effort into Emotion Regulation: Manipulating Desirability and Motivational Strength, accessed September 28, 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9743940/
23. Emotional regulation, attachment style, and assertiveness as determinants of well-being in emerging adults - Frontiers, accessed September 28, 2025, https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2023.1058519/full
24. Respectful Boundaries: Teaching with Assertiveness and the A.C.T. Strategy - Encompass, accessed September 28, 2025, https://www.encompasswi.org/respectful-boundaries-teaching-with-assertiveness-and-the-a-c-t-strategy/
25. Emotional regulation, attachment style, and assertiveness as determinants of well-being in emerging adults - Frontiers, accessed September 28, 2025, https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2023.1058519/pdf
26. Emotional regulation, attachment style, and assertiveness as determinants of well-being in emerging adults - ResearchGate, accessed September 28, 2025, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/368720040_Emotional_regulation_attachment_style_and_assertiveness_as_determinants_of_well-being_in_emerging_adults
27. Perceived Regard, Expressive Suppression During Conflict, and Conflict Resolution | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed September 28, 2025, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325916690_Perceived_Regard_Expressive_Suppression_During_Conflict_and_Conflict_Resolution
28. Cultural regulation of emotion: individual, relational, and structural sources - Frontiers, accessed September 28, 2025, https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00055/full
29. Conceptualizing Emotion Regulation and Coregulation as Family-Level Phenomena - PMC, accessed September 28, 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8801237/
30. Emotions in Conflict Resolution: A New Model of Constructive Conflict - BYU ScholarsArchive, accessed September 28, 2025, https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1179&context=intuition

31. Acceptance as an Emotion Regulation Strategy in Experimental Psychological Research: What We Know and How We Can Improve That Knowledge, accessed September 28, 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7057396/

32. Emotional Avoidance and Rumination as Mediators of the Relation Between Adult Attachment and Emotional Disclosure - ISU ReD, accessed September 28, 2025, https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/fppsych/63/

33. Nonviolent Communication - Wikipedia, accessed September 28, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonviolent_Communication

34. The Dyadic Construction of Romantic Conflict Recovery Sabotage - PMC, accessed September 28, 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5791900/
35. The effect of acceptance and commitment therapy on the conflict resolution styles of incompatible marital women - ResearchGate, accessed September 28, 2025, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333470363_The_effect_of_acceptance_and_commitment_therapy_on_the_conflict_resolution_styles_of_incompatible_marital_women
36. Core Emotion Framework, accessed September 28, 2025, https://www.coreemotionframework.com/