Reappraisal as a means to self-transcendence: Aquinas’s model of emotion regulation informs the extended process model
Catherine A. Marple, A. Jeffrey, Sarah A. Schnitker
Philosophical Psychology January 25, 2024 DOI: 10.1080/09515089.2024.2307991 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that effectively developing self-transcendent motivation constitutive of virtue requires engaging the subject's will in the right way, a condition the authors say is overlooked in character interventions. They propose that reappraisal strategies from the extended process model of emotion regulation (EPM-ER) can meet this condition and merit exploration in character interventions. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT Recent work in positive psychology demonstrates the importance of self-transcendence: understanding oneself to be part of something greater than the self, such as a family, community, or tradition of sacred practice. Self-transcendence is positively associated with wellbeing and a sense of meaning and purpose. Philosophers have argued that self-transcendent motivation has a central role in good character, or virtue. Positive psychologists are just now beginning to integrate the aim of developing such motivation in character interventions. In this paper we draw attention to an important but overlooked condition on effectively developing self-transcendent motivation constitutive of virtue: such a process must engage the subject’s will in the right way. If a process does not meet this condition it will fail to produce motivation constitutive of virtue according to leading philosophical accounts of virtue. We identify a suite of strategies for cultivating motivations that do meet this condition but have not been explored in relation to character interventions, namely, reappraisal strategies from the extended process model of emotion regulation (EPM-ER).