Exploring the Impact of Emotional Regulation on Undergraduate Academic Performance

Abstract

Guided by Self-Regulation Theory and Social Cognitive Theory, this study examined the relationship between emotional regulation and undergraduate students’ academic performance. A total of 163 undergraduate students from a large public university in the Southwestern United States completed an adapted version of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). Pearson correlation analyses indicated that overall emotion regulation score was not associated with GPA (r = –.14, p = .136). Similarly, a simple linear regression revealed that emotion regulation did not significantly predict academic performance, F(1, 112) = 2.25, p = .136. Ultimately, accounting for a small proportion of variance in GPA (R2 = .02). Exploratory analyses of individual emotion regulation items suggested that specific behaviors including perceived ability to manage stress and avoidance of maladaptive coping strategies, reveal small and nuanced associations with GPA. Overall, the findings highlight the multidimensional nature of emotional regulation and its nuanced role in supporting academic performance. The results suggest that not all regulation strategies are equally beneficial and that specific adaptive coping skills may play a more direct role in supporting students’ academic success. Implications for university support services, faculty advising, and future research directions are discussed.

Keywords: emotional regulation, GPA, undergraduate students, self-regulation, self-efficacy

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/17-6-09

Publication date: June 30^th 2026