Emotions and emotion regulation among novice military parachutists.

Novice soldiers (N = 95) reported their emotions and their use of emotion regulation strategies across a range of domains. Results indicate significant differences between emotions and emotion regulation strategies across situations. Prior to parachuting, participants reported feeling intense anxiety and happiness whilst also feeling energetic, a profile similar to that which they experienced in sport. This was however different to those experienced in work and in life in general. In terms of emotion regulation strategies, participants reported greater use of strategies to increase unpleasant emotions an hour before parachuting than in other situations. Findings suggest that developing training protocols to increase the flexibility and versatility of emotion regulation skills might enhance the preparation of novice soldiers for military duties.