• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.45-58
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• 2017

The present study tested a hypothesis that mood awareness and emotional expressivity would attenuate the association between academic stress and adjustment. In support of the hypothesis, the present research showed that emotional expressivity moderated the association between academic stress and adjustment among college students. That is, the association was attenuated by emotional expressivity when academic stress was high more than when academic stress was low. Curiously, we also identified an interesting diversion between two factors of mood awareness. Specifically, mood monitoring moderated the negative association between academic stress and adjustment, whereas mood labeling did not. That is, mood monitoring was particularly effective when academic stress was high, but mood labeling showed substantial benefits regardless of the level of academic stress. Overall, the present results suggest that mood awareness (in particular, mood labeling) and emotional expressivity serve as cognitive and behavioral protective factors that can buffer academic stress among college students.