Implicit, But Not Explicit, Emotion Regulation Relieves Unpleasant Neural Responses Evoked by High-Intensity Negative Images.
10.1007/s12264-023-01036-7
- Author:
Yueyao ZHANG
1
;
Sijin LI
2
;
Kexiang GAO
2
;
Yiwei LI
1
;
Jiajin YUAN
1
;
Dandan ZHANG
3
Author Information
1. Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610066, China.
2. School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
3. Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610066, China. zhangdd05@gmail.com.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Cognitive reappraisal;
Emotional intensity;
Implicit emotion regulation;
Late positive potential;
Training
- MeSH:
Humans;
Emotional Regulation;
Electroencephalography;
Evoked Potentials/physiology*;
Cognition/physiology*;
Emotions/physiology*
- From:
Neuroscience Bulletin
2023;39(8):1278-1288
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Evidence suggests that explicit reappraisal has limited regulatory effects on high-intensity emotions, mainly due to the depletion of cognitive resources occupied by the high-intensity emotional stimulus itself. The implicit form of reappraisal has proved to be resource-saving and therefore might be an ideal strategy to achieve the desired regulatory effect in high-intensity situations. In this study, we explored the regulatory effect of explicit and implicit reappraisal when participants encountered low- and high-intensity negative images. The subjective emotional rating indicated that both explicit and implicit reappraisal down-regulated negative experiences, irrespective of intensity. However, the amplitude of the parietal late positive potential (LPP; a neural index of experienced emotional intensity) showed that only implicit reappraisal had significant regulatory effects in the high-intensity context, though both explicit and implicit reappraisal successfully reduced the emotional neural responses elicited by low-intensity negative images. Meanwhile, implicit reappraisal led to a smaller frontal LPP amplitude (an index of cognitive cost) compared to explicit reappraisal, indicating that the implementation of implicit reappraisal consumes limited cognitive control resources. Furthermore, we found a prolonged effect of implicit emotion regulation introduced by training procedures. Taken together, these findings not only reveal that implicit reappraisal is suitable to relieve high-intensity negative experiences as well as neural responses, but also highlight the potential benefit of trained implicit regulation in clinical populations whose frontal control resources are limited.
