Process Depletion in Emotion Regulation

<p>The ability to regulate emotions via reappraisal is considered an important skill that is associated with greater well-being. However, the effectiveness of emotion regulation is impacted by individual differences, and its adaptiveness may vary depending on context. For example individuals from vulnerable populations such as children and mothers in the context of poverty often demonstrate less optimal reappraisal, that is in turn associated with maladaptive behaviors. Given its consequence on mental health, it is critical to understand mechanisms that influence reappraisal to maximize its adaptive consequences. The current study explored conditions that could either facilitate or impair reappraisal success. We hypothesized that immediate cognitive context using an emotion conflict resolution task (Incongruent and Congruent trials of an Emotional Stroop) will elicit differential behavioral and neural responding in subsequent reappraisal. Results showed that temporal regions (middle temporal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus) showed dampened activity during reappraisal when preceded by Incongruent trials. This shows a diminished capacity to downregulate emotions when reappraisal is preceded by Incongruent Stroop. Although not hypothesized, dampened activity was observed in emotion reactivity regions (cuneus, thalamus) for Look Negative trials (in the absence of instructions to reappraise) when preceded by Incongruent Stroop. Thus, showing that prefontally-dependent incongruent Stroop trials automatically evoked top-down control processes, which in turn reduced emotional neural reactivity and self-reported negative affect. Results of the present study demonstrate that engaging in an emotional conflict resolution task (a form of emotional control) immediately before reappraisal may deplete cognitive resources and therefore impair subsequent reappraisal success. However, engaging in emotional conflict resolution alone is less cognitively demanding, and may induce implicit forms of emotion regulation and reduce negative affect without explicit instructions to reappraise.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Year dc:date.available

2023

Author dc:creator

• Boeckner, Christian Capistrano

Contributors dc:contributor

• Kateri McRae
• Derigan A. Silver
• Kimberly Chiew
• Sarah Watamura

• Psychology
• Emotion regulation
• Cognitive resources
• Reappraisal
• Emotional Stroop
• Cognition and Perception
• Cognitive Psychology
• Social and Behavioral Sciences

Statement dc:rights

• <p>Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.</p>

Language dc:language

English (eng)

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/2264

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.du.edu:etd-3253