The temporal dynamics of emotion regulation: An EEG study of distraction and reappraisal
Abstract
Distraction and reappraisal are two widely used forms of emotion regulation. The process model of emotion regulation (Gross, 1998) holds that they differ (1) in when they act on the emotion-generative process, and (2) in their impact on subsequent responses to regulated stimuli. We tested these two predictions by measuring electrocortical responses to neutral and emotional images during two phases. In the regulation phase, images were watched or regulated using distraction or reappraisal. During the re-exposure phase, the same images were passively watched. As predicted, during regulation, distraction reduced the late positive potential (LPP) earlier than reappraisal. Upon re-exposure, images with a distraction (but not reappraisal) history elicited a larger LPP than images with an attend history. This pattern of results suggests that distraction and reappraisal intervene at separate stages during emotion generation, a feature which may have distinct consequences that extend beyond the regulatory episode.
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Studies showed decreased LPP amplitudes after suppression and after reappraisal of negative emotional stimuli.
“Studies showed decreased LPP amplitudes after suppression (e.g., [35]) and after reappraisal of negative emotional stimuli (e.g., [36,37,38] but see [39,40]).”
From Effects of differential strategies of emotion regulation (2019) · cites this paper as [37]
The present LPP results are in line with results from Krendl et al. and Grecucci, but contrary to the majority of earlier studies which showed a decreased LPP for reappraisal.
“Our results are in line with results from Krendl et al. [39], or Grecucci [40], but contrary to the majority of earlier studies which showed a decreased LPP for reappraisal [36,37,66].”
From Effects of differential strategies of emotion regulation (2019) · cites this paper as [37]
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“To investigate possible LPP differences, averaged mean activations of consecutive time sequences of 200 ms in length were extracted from 300 ms to 1700 ms after stimulus onset (see [37]).”
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- Authors
- Thiruchselvam, R., Blechert, J., Sheppes, G., Rydstrom, A., & Gross, J. J.
- Affiliations
- Stanford University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Thiruchselvam, Ravi
- Venue
- Biological Psychology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-04
- Volume
- 87
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 84-92
- ISSN
- 0301-0511 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2042906065
- Cited by
- 431
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 19 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 37 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 36 · 2020: 40 · 2019: 37 · 2018: 29 · 2017: 26 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 18
- FWCI
- 10.39
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Biological Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- emotion regulation, distraction, cognitive reappraisal, late positive potential, process model of emotion regulation, emotional pictures, re-exposure, temporal dynamics, electrocortical responses, attention
- MeSH terms
- Analysis of Variance, Brain, Brain Mapping, Electroencephalography, Emotions, Female, Humans, Male, Photic Stimulation, Reaction Time, Time Factors, Visual Perception, Nonlinear Dynamics, Young Adult
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