The paper gives a theoretical explanation and empirical verification of a conceptual emotion-regulating model, developed in the theoretical methodological context of cultural-active paradigm. A universal hypothesis concerning emotion regulation as a system including psychological and physiological levels has been verified empirically. The psychological level may be subdivided on motivational thinking level and operational-technical ones, ruled by such psychological mechanisms as reflection and symbolical mediation. It has been figured out that motivational peculiarities determine the manifestation of other analyzed components of the system of emotion regulation. This is true not only for healthy patients, but also for patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP). The significance of reflection and symbolical mediation in the system of cultural-active paradigm and emotion regulation has been determined. It has been proved that emotion regulation among patients with MVP differs from that of healthy people, highlighted by a very strong conflict of goal-achieving and fail-avoiding motives, lack of personal reflection and distortion of symbolical mediation, and very limited emotion-regulative resources. It has been shown that patients with MVP differ from the control group, suffering from far more strong emotional stress. It distributes an overall negative impact, reducing the ability to use emotion-regulating resource in emotionally meaningful situations effectively.

Part 2. Cultural activity approach to the issue of identifying strategies and mechanisms.

The first part of this paper argued the desirability of structural-dynamic model of emotion regulation in the theoretical and methodological framework of cultural activity paradigm with the construction of a psychologically-based typology of emotion regulation strategies in norm and pathology, and also psychological mechanisms enabling the regulation of emotions. This conclusion was based on the analysis of the basic concepts and paradigms in which the issue of emotion regulation is studied: cognitive and psychoanalytic approaches, concept and emotional development of emotional intelligence, cultural activity approach. The paper considers the procedure model of emotion regulation by J. Gross, identifies emotion regulation strategies and evaluates their effectiveness. The possibilities and limitations of the model. Based on the review of the today research the conclusion is arrived at that the existing labels on a wide range of regulatory strategies remain an open issue.

The author’s definition of emotion regulation is drawn. Emotion regulation is deemed as a set of mental processes, psychological mechanisms and regulatory strategies that people use to preserve the capacity for productive activities in a situation of emotional stress; to ensure optimal impulse control and emotions; to maintain the excitement at the optimum level.

The second part of this paper provides the general description of emotion regulation strategies, the approach to their typology, the psychological mechanisms of emotion regulation that lie in the basis of this typology, i.e. the main elements of the structural-dynamic model of emotion regulation. The work shows theoretical and methodological efficacy of empirical significance of signs and symbols and also personal reflection. The diagnostic system to allow empirically identify a wide range of emotion regulation strategies is suggested. The psychological mechanisms used by the subject to solve the problem of emotional control and protection in the emotional situations is emphasized.Three classes of emotion regulation strategies are given a particular account: indirect cognitive, transforming cognitive, and communicative and expressive ones.

The objectives of this paper are as follows: argumentation feasibility of developing structural dynamic model of emotion regulation within the theoretical and methodological framework of cultural activity paradigm of the development of human mind and promoting a psychologically-based typology of emotion regulation strategies in health and disease (Part 1), the description of the model of emotion regulation (Part 2). The paper introduces the author’s definition of emotion regulation as a set of mental processes, psychological mechanisms and regulatory strategies that are used to preserve human capacity to induce productive activity in a situation of emotional stress, to ensure optimal impulse control and emotions, to maintain the excitement at the optimum level.

In the first part, the paper summarizes the concepts and paradigms in which the problem of emotion regulation is viewed: psychoanalytic and cognitive approaches, concepts and emotional development of emotional intelligence, cultural activity approach. The paper considers the procedure model of regulating emotions by J. Gross with the release of emotion regulation strategies and efficacy assessment, analyzes its capabilities and limitations. Based on a review of the today research, the conclusion is as follows: within the existing labels on a wide range of regulatory strategies the issue of the psychological mechanisms of their use still remains open.

In the second part, the author suggests the possibilities to address this issue on the basis of the construction of structural and dynamic models of emotion regulation in the methodology of cultural activity approach to the study of the mind and capacity of this theoretical paradigm of integrated methodological approach to the experimental study of the regulation of emotions.