Increasing negative emotions by reappraisal enhances subsequent cognitive control: a combined behavioral and electrophysiological study

Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2010 May;10(2):195-207. doi: 10.3758/CABN.10.2.195.

Abstract

To what degree do cognitively based strategies of emotion regulation impact subsequent cognitive control? Here, we investigated this question by interleaving a cognitive task with emotion regulation trials, where regulation occurred through cognitive reappraisal. In addition to obtaining self-reports of emotion regulation, we used the late positive potential (LPP) of the event-related brain potential as an objective index of emotion regulation. On each trial, participants maintained, decreased, or increased their emotional response to an unpleasant picture and then responded to a Stroop stimulus. Results revealed that (1) the magnitude of the LPP was decreased with reappraisal instructions to decrease negative emotion and were enhanced with reappraisal instructions to increase negative emotion; (2) after cognitive reappraisal was used to increase the intensity of negative emotion, RT interference in the subsequent Stroop trial was significantly reduced; and (3) increasing negative emotions by reappraisal also modulated the cognitive control-related sustained potential. These results suggest that increasing negative emotions by cognitive reappraisal heightens cognitive control, which may be sustained for a short time after the regulation event.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Brain / physiology*
  • Cognition / physiology*
  • Electroencephalography
  • Emotions / physiology*
  • Evoked Potentials
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Stroop Test
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Thinking / physiology*
  • Time Factors
  • Visual Perception / physiology
  • Young Adult