Structural Regulation Framework

The Structural Regulation Framework (SRF) proposes a dimensional model of human psychological regulation organized around two distinct interacting capacity dimensions — Internal Regulation Capacity (IRC) and Structural Flexibility (SF) — and a dynamic process variable, Regulation Externalization Latency (REL). IRC describes the maximum capacity to maintain regulatory coherence internally under unresolved activation. SF describes the capacity to hold tension, contradiction, and reality contact while shifting between regulatory strategies without fragmentation or rigidity. REL measures the time interval between unresolved activation and initiation of external regulatory behavior. The framework further proposes externalization vectors — directional channels through which external regulation operates — and distinguishes structural levels at which regulation organizes (state, strategy, architecture, capacity). Drawing on attachment theory, affect regulation, and differentiation of self research, the framework attempts to extend existing constructs by introducing REL as a dynamic process variable that may capture variance in regulation organization not fully measured by existing attachment, distress tolerance, or differentiation measures. This claim remains hypothetical and requires empirical testing. This paper introduces the conceptual architecture, proposes operational definitions, outlines testable hypotheses, and acknowledges substantial limitations requiring empirical validation.