Abstract

his study examined the pathway through which Belief about Emotional Expression influence somatization via Ambivalence over Emotional Expressiveness, and tested the moderating role of attentional control in this process. A survey was conducted with 296 Korean adults(149 men; mean age = 40.46 years), the data were analyzed using a moderated mediation model. The results indicated that ambivalence over emotional expressiveness partially mediated the relationship between belief about emotional expression and somatization. Specifically, stronger negative belief about emotional expression were associated with greater conflict between the desire to express emotions and the tendency to inhibit emotional expression, which in turn was related to higher levels of somatic symptoms. In addition, attentional control moderated not only the effect of belief about emotional expression on ambivalence over emotional expressiveness but also the overall pathway leading to somatization. When attentional control was high, positive changes in belief about emotional expression were more strongly associated with reduced ambivalence over emotional expressiveness and lower levels of somatization. These findings suggest that attentional control functions as a key moderating variable that amplifies the effects of changes in belief about emotional expression and provide empirical support for contemporary psychotherapeutic approaches that incorporate attentional control training.