1. Introduction

The article mainly discusses the various influencing factors of emotion regulation. Through the reading and sorting of relevant literature, it is found that age, gender, mental illness, background and environment will affect emotional regulation. For example, older adults are more likely to use strategies with less cognitive load, such as situational selection, distraction, acceptance, and active reassessment. And young people are more likely to use cognitive reassessment strategies, which regulate emotional responses by changing perceptions of situations.

emotion perception: The ability to accurately identify and interpret other people's emotional expressions is called emotional perception. It involves the process of perceiving and understanding the emotions conveyed through facial expressions, vocalizations, body language, and other nonverbal cues. Emotional perception enables individuals to understand and respond appropriately to the emotions of others, which is extremely important in social interactions.

The Black triad refers: The Black triad refers to a combination of three personality traits, including Machiavellianism, psychopathy and narcissism. These traits are often associated with bad behavior and mental health problems. Machiavellianism refers to the tendency to use others to achieve one's own ends; Psychopathy refers to the tendency to lack empathy and feelings of guilt; Narcissism refers to an excessive focus on oneself and the tendency to brag about oneself. Studies have shown a link between the black triad and mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

Emotional regulation: Emotional regulation refers to a series of strategies and processes that individuals adopt to adjust, manage and regulate their emotional experience in the face of emotionally stimulating events. These strategies can include cognitive reassessment, inhibition of emotional expression, emotional diversion, emotional relaxation, etc. The purpose of emotion regulation is to help individuals better adapt to and cope with emotionally stimulating events, as well as to maintain emotional stability and positivity.

Age effect: Age effect refers to the influence of age on emotional experience, emotional regulation and emotional perception.

Explicit emotions: The emotion shown is that which is expressed directly and explicitly. This emotion is usually expressed through words, facial expressions, body language and voice. The emotions displayed can be joy, sadness, anger, fear, etc., which transmit information and communicate emotional states between individuals. The emotions shown can be spontaneous or consciously expressed, and they can help people understand and share emotional experiences. For example, a person may growl loudly or throw things when angry, and these behaviors can clearly show their anger. In addition, when a person is happy, they may laugh, jump, or express other positive behaviors that can also be seen as clearly expressed emotions.

Internalized emotions: Internalized emotions are those that are not publicly expressed or displayed. These emotions are usually reserved within the individual and may not be easily observed by others. Internalized emotions can include feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt, or shame. They are often experienced within the individual and may not be easily perceived by others unless explicitly expressed or communicated. Internalizing emotions has a significant impact on an individual's sense of well-being and can influence their thinking, behavior, and overall emotional state.

The relationship between emotion and age. For example, a person may feel guilty, anxious, or sad, but they may not express these emotions explicitly, but keep them inside. The experience of such emotions may have an impact on an individual's psychological and emotional state, but may not be easily noticeable to the outside world.

2. The Relationship between Age and Emotion Regulation

The influence factors of age on emotion include emotional experience, emotional regulation and emotional perception, and these factors have an age effect in the elderly, but not all emotional fields show a positive age trajectory. Some studies have suggested that emotional experiences may be more positive with age, but the results have been inconsistent in terms of emotional regulation and mostly negative in terms of emotional perception. [1]. In terms of emotional experiences, older adults reported more positive emotions, but for specific negative emotional states, such as sadness, older adults reported more frequently. In terms of emotion regulation, older adults may use more spontaneous emotion regulation strategies, such as allowing or accepting their feelings, focusing on the positive aspects and outcomes of a situation, that is, a non-emotional and detached attitude, that is, the non-emotional aspects of the situation, trying to show their feelings, Avoid the people or things they think will put them in a bad mood by thinking about something else and looking for the ones they think will put them in a good mood. Regarding differences in frequency of use and adaptation between different age groups, some studies have shown that. According to research, older adults are more inclined to use less cognitive load and previously dominant strategies such as situational selection, distraction, acceptance, and positive reassessment [2]. In contrast, the aged may rely less on strategies with higher cognitive load, such as detached reappraisal and expression suppression. Emotional suppression strategies can help older adults better control and manage their emotions and avoid being overly agitated or out of control. Emotional suppression strategies can help older adults remain calm and rational in the face of challenges and stress, reducing the likelihood of impulsivity and conflict. Emotional suppression strategies can also help older adults maintain stability in social relationships and interpersonal interactions. By suppressing the expression of emotions, older people can avoid causing distress or discomfort to others due to mood swings. In addition, emotional suppression strategies can also help the elderly better adapt to and cope with various challenges and changes in daily life. By suppressing the expression of emotions, the elderly can better maintain emotional stability and reduce the negative impact of mood fluctuations on physical and mental health. Young people are more likely to use cognitive reappraisal strategies to regulate emotions. This is because young people generally have greater cognitive abilities and flexibility, and are better able to cope with the challenges of emotional regulation. Cognitive reappraisal strategies involve reinterpreting and reevaluating situations to regulate emotional responses by changing perceptions of situations. Younger people may be more likely to adopt this strategy because they are more capable of looking at issues from a different perspective and finding positive explanations and meaning. The advantage of using cognitive reappraisal strategies in young people is that it can help them better understand and interpret the situation, thereby mitigating the effects of negative emotions. By reassessing the situation, young people can find positive aspects and ways to solve problems, thereby improving their ability to regulate emotions [2]. Cognitive reappraisal strategies can also help young people develop a positive mindset and the ability to cope with stress. In addition, older people tend to use emotional suppression strategies more than younger people, but may have less flexibility in the face of situational changes. The intervention of emotion regulation for the elderly and the young suggests that we need to adopt different strategies and methods of emotion regulation according to the characteristics and needs of different age groups. Specifically, the study found that older adults were less likely than younger adults to adjust the use of certain strategies in response to changes in the intensity of negative emotions [3]. In terms of emotional perception, elderly people's emotional perception accuracy may decline. There is a correlation between age and the flexibility of emotion regulation strategies. According to the results of selected studies, older people show a lower level of flexibility in emotional regulation strategies than younger people. They were more likely to use acceptance strategies, less likely to use distraction strategies, and less flexible in their responsiveness to different negative emotions. Young people show more flexibility in these areas. The flexibility of emotion regulation strategies has different effects on emotion regulation in the elderly and the young. The age difference is mainly manifested in the recognition of emotions. Older people are far worse than younger people in some aspects of emotion recognition, especially in the recognition of negative expressions, such as voice, body movement, dynamic or multimodal expressions. Older people also pay more attention to the physical environment than younger people, and paying attention to environmental information that is consistent with emotions can improve the accuracy of older people's emotional perception. Therefore, the effect of age on emotion varies by emotion domain and is influenced by different regulatory factors, including environmental factors and individual differences.

3. The Relationship between Emotion and Environment

Background factors and environment can influence the emotional perception of children and adolescents. Age and gender are two important background factors that have different effects on emotional regulation in children and adolescents.

In terms of age, research shows that as children and adolescents grow up, they gradually learn to regulate emotions more effectively. They gradually shift from external strategies to internal cognitive strategies, such as regulating emotions by thinking about themselves, their feelings, or others. However, some studies have also found that during mid-adolescence (ages 13-15), emotional regulation strategies in children and adolescents may decline along with emotional distress and conflict with parents [4].

In terms of gender, the study found differences in emotional expression between boys and girls. Boys are more likely to express outer emotions than girls, who are more likely to express inner emotions. These differences may be the result of a combination of biological and social factors. Biological theories suggest that differences in emotional regulation between boys and girls are due to factors such as innate genetic differences or hormonal differences that develop with age [4]. In addition, social development theory states that children learn behaviors consistent with gender roles and develop cognitive patterns based on their experiences and observations of their environment. Social constructivist theory emphasizes the importance of gender expression based on differences in biological and social development, as well as the importance of environmental factors behind the expression of internalized behavior. The study also found that factors such as age, interpersonal environment, and task type modulate gender differences in emotional expression. This suggests that gender differences in emotional expression can be mediated by complex interactions in the environment. So gender differences in emotional expression are not a fixed feature. One of the protective factors against the development of psychopathology is the child's upbringing environment, which is flexible in regulating emotions. In educational and family settings, there are measures that can be taken to promote this. Girls were more likely to use more adaptive strategies for emotional regulation, such as reassessment or active coping, but were also likely to use less adaptive strategies, such as rumination and inhibition. This may explain why women are more prone to high rates of mood disorders.

Certain circumstances can also have an impact on emotional regulation [5]. For example, studies have found a positive correlation between fear of COVID-19 and psychological distress during COVID-19, i.e. the higher the level of fear, the more severe the psychological distress. In addition, the study found that emotion regulation strategies played a key role in alleviating or exacerbating negative emotions and distress. The use of adaptive strategies such as cognitive reappraisal, problem solving, and acceptance was associated with lower anxiety and depression symptoms, while the use of non-adaptive strategies such as emotional suppression, avoidance, and ruminations was associated with higher anxiety and depression symptoms [5]. As a result, people with high levels of fear of COVID-19 may employ dysfunctional emotion-regulation strategies that exacerbate psychological distress. The study found a significant positive correlation between the level of fear of COVID-19 and psychological distress, such as anxiety and depression. At the same time, uncertainty tolerance is also positively correlated with the level of fear of COVID-19. This means that the lower the tolerance for uncertainty, the more fearful individuals may be in the face of COVID-19, increasing the risk of psychological distress. In addition, emotion regulation strategies also play a moderating role in the relationship between COVID-19 fear and psychological distress. Studies have shown that the use of adaptive emotion-regulation strategies (such as cognitive reappraisal) is associated with lower anxiety and depression symptoms, while the use of maladaptive emotion-regulation strategies (such as emotional repression) is associated with higher psychological distress [5]. Therefore, individuals with higher levels of fear of COVID-19 may be more inclined to employ maladaptive emotion-regulation strategies, thereby increasing the risk of psychological distress. The influence of situational factors on emotion regulation is multifaceted. Based on reference information, situational factors include perceived degree of control, emotional intensity, and likelihood of event repetition [6]. These factors influence which emotion regulation strategies individuals choose to use. First, the perceived degree of control affects an individual's likelihood of using active coping and cognitive reappraisal. When individuals feel they have some control over the situation, they are more likely to choose active coping strategies, because changing the situation requires some control. Conversely, the perceived degree of control may reduce the likelihood of using cognitive reappraisal, which may be more useful when the situation cannot be changed. Thus, the present study this paper can expect that the perceived degree of control is positively correlated with active coping and negatively correlated with cognitive reappraisal. Second, emotional intensity affects the likelihood that an individual will choose to use distraction or cognitive reappraisal. In situations of low emotional intensity, most individuals were more likely to choose cognitive reappraisal over distraction. Emotional intensity was also positively correlated with the use of rumination and active coping. Thus, the present study this paper can expect emotional intensity to be positively correlated with active coping, distraction, and rumination, and negatively correlated with cognitive reappraisal. Finally, the likelihood of an event being repeated influences the likelihood of an individual choosing to use distraction or cognitive reappraisal. In situations where the likelihood of event repetition is low, individuals are more likely to choose distraction over cognitive reappraisal. Cognitive reappraisal can alter the emotional experience of a stimulus in the long term, whereas distraction can only change in the short term. Therefore, the present study this paper can expect the possibility of repetition of events with initiative.

4. The Influence of Emotion Regulation Strategies on Mental Illness

Emotional regulation strategies have an impact on mental illness. But the effects of emotion regulation on anxiety and depression are different. Research has found a strong association between anxiety and emotional reactivity, and a strong association between depression and difficulty regulating emotions. Specifically, anxiety was more strongly associated with emotional reactivity, while depression was more strongly associated with difficulty regulating emotions. For anxiety disorders, the strong association with emotional reactivity suggests that emotion regulation may be a potential area for intervention. This means that by regulating emotional reactivity, it may help reduce anxiety symptoms. And for depression, the association with difficulty regulating emotions suggests that improving emotional regulation, particularly the lack of emotional cognition and emotional clarity, may help reduce depressive symptoms. In conclusion, the effects of emotion regulation on anxiety and depression are different, suggesting that different strategies are needed for different mood disorders in clinical interventions. For anxiety, the focus can be on the regulation of emotional reactivity, while for depression, the focus can be on the enhancement of emotional regulation. In addition, emotional regulation has an important impact on the mental health of the elderly [7]. Research shows that effective emotional regulation can help older adults cope with stress, adapt to social environments, and enhance well-being. Conversely, poor emotional regulation can hinder the development of mental health and is seen as a trigger for mood disorders. There is a close relationship between emotion regulation strategies and depressive symptoms. Positive reassessment is associated with mental health, while rumination is strongly associated with anxiety and depression. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the emotional regulation of the elderly to prevent their emotional problems [8]. Studies have shown that Emotion regulation strategies act as a mediator between self-compassion and social anxiety. Studies have found that self-compassion can reduce symptoms of social anxiety through emotion-regulation strategies such as cognitive reappraisal and emotional suppression. [9]. For example, self-compassion can indirectly reduce social anxiety by activating emotional regulation strategies such as cognitive reappraisal and limiting emotional suppression. Cognitive reassessment refers to strategies that reinterpret and evaluate situations in order to reduce negative emotions. Emotional suppression refers to strategies for suppressing and controlling the expression and experience of emotions. Secondly, depression play a mediating role in the relation between self-compassion and social anxiety. The study found that depression can have an important impact on the relationship between self-compassion and emotion regulation strategies, especially on social performance anxiety. For example, the benefits of self-compassion and emotion regulation strategies were influenced by the type of depressive mood and social anxiety. Depression has a stronger effect on social performance anxiety than social interaction anxiety. Depression weakens the effects of self-compassion and emotional regulation. Self-compassion can reduce emotional distress in the following ways: 1. Self-compassion can reduce negative self-judgment and self-criticism, thus reducing emotional distress. 2. Self-compassion can help people recognize that difficult experiences are common and thus reduce their sense of isolation from others. 3. Self-compassion can help people maintain mindful awareness of negative experiences, rather than over-identifying with negative emotions and feeling overwhelmed. This mindfulness can help reduce emotional distress. This study suggests that emotional regulation plays an important role in sleep problems associated with exposure to stressful situations. People who use more effective emotion-regulation strategies are more likely to successfully influence their emotional experiences, compared to people who do not tend to use effective emotion-regulation strategies who are more likely to develop some psychiatric disorders. Such as difficulty sleeping, which continues to lead to exhaustion associated with mental health problems. Therefore, emotion regulation strategies have an important impact on mental health status. Research has shown that emotional regulation strategies such as cognitive reappraisal, inhibition, and rumination are closely related to mental health status. Cognitive reappraisal is a strategy of reassessing emotional events to change their impact and is generally considered an effective strategy for reducing negative emotions associated with stressful events. Inhibition refers to trying to reduce the visible manifestation of an emotion, but this often leads to an increase or prolongation of negative emotions. Rumination, the cognitive process by which individuals ruminate over emotions and related thoughts, causes, and potential consequences, has been linked to an increase in several mental health problems, including anxiety and depressive symptoms [10].

5. Conclusion

Emotion regulation is widely influenced by different factors. Age, mental illness, environmental factors and background factors all have an impact on emotional regulation. As children and adolescents grow, they learn to regulate their emotions more effectively. But emotional distress and conflict with parents may lead to a decline in emotional regulation strategies in children and adolescents. Gender also affects emotional regulation. Boys are more likely to express external emotions, while girls are more likely to express internal emotions. These differences may be the result of a combination of biological and social factors. The upbringing environment can also flexibly regulate emotions, and situational factors also have an impact on emotion regulation, including the degree of control over perception and emotion. A good growth environment can enable individuals to better choose adaptive emotion regulation strategies.