Emotion Regulation

1. Emotion Regulation “Anybody can become angry, that is easy; but to be angry with the right person, and to the right degree, and at the right time, and for the right purpose, and in the right way, that is not within everybody's power, that is not easy.” - Aristotle

2. If you are pained by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment. – Marcus Aurelius There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so. – Bill Shakespeare Happiness does not depend on outward things, but on the way we see them. – Leo Tolstoy In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was within me an invincible summer. – Albert Camus

3. 41,300,000 websites If you are pained by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment 255 books

4. There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so. …”voodoo death” may be real, and it may be explained as due to shocking emotional stress…

5. Overview • Intro to Emotions in Brain • Definition of Emotion Regulation • Regulation processes • Suppression • Focusing on feelings • Relationship between Social Cognition and Emotion

6. Emotions in Brain, Briefly

7. Frontal Lobes • The story of Phineas Gage • emotional, frequent outbursts of anger, rage, couldn’t inhibit inappropriate behavior

8. Frontal Lobotomies • 1930s: Egaz Moniz begins frontal lobotomies in humans (and eventually wins Nobel Prize) • 1950s: psychosurgery in vogue; 40,000 frontal lobotomies in North America • no outward signs of emotion • no facial expression • no feelings toward other people • felt empty, zombie-like • lose prosody = emotional component of speech • orbitofrontal cortex

9. Orbitofrontal patients show flat skin conductance to disturbing stimuli SCR: skin conductance response; measures sweat gland activity; indicator of arousal

10. Orbitofrontal cortex - emotional decision making Gambling Task Pile A: gain more, lose more Pile B: gain less, lose less

11. Speech Task To induce a stress response, participants were asked to prepare speeches on 2 random topics. Prior to entering the scanner, they were given bios and background information on the panelists, to convince them of the seriousness of giving the speeches Stern fellows

12. HR SCR Rating Speech Task Regions correlated with a measure = pos. corr. = neg. corr.

13. Amygdala Insula Amygdala and Insula - Negative Emotions Disgust Fear

14. Definition of Emotion Regulation

15. What is Emotion Regulation? Definition People regulate their emotions when they influence: -Which emotions they have -When they have emotions -How they experience emotions -How they express emotions

16. Regulation Processes

17. How do we regulate our emotions?

18. Emotion Regulation: 5 Ways 1. Selection of the situation 2. Modification of the situation 3. Deployment of attention 4. Change of cognitions 5. Modulation of responses

19. Situation SelectionApproaching or avoiding certain people, places or objects; choose environments to control range of contextual event Examples -Seeing a movie to vent feelings -Seeking out a friend to have a good cry -Treatment for drug addiction Contextual Event EMOTION Observable Response

20. Situation ModificationModify or change a situation to alter its emotional impact; change an aspect of the contextual event Examples -Can’t make meeting; reschedule phone meeting -Not succeeding in grad program, then switch to another Contextual Event EMOTION Observable Response

21. Contextual Event EMOTION Observable Response Attention DeploymentControl focus of attention on the contextual event to reduce or enhance emotion Examples -Distraction: focus attention on non-emotional aspects of situation or from the situation altogether -Concentration: absorb cognitive capacity or focus on emotion cues -Rumination: direct attention to feelings and their consequences

22. Contextual Event EMOTION Observable Response Cognitive ChangeReappraisal of event, cognitively change the emotional meaning of the event Examples -Reframe event -Re-appraise meaning -Turning tragedy into triumph

23. Appraise Significance EmotionalResponse Stimulus/Event Role of Cognition in Emotion If you are pained by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.

24. Re-Appraise Significance Altered Response Stimulus/Event Role of Cognition in Emotion If you are pained by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.

25. Think about image as you would naturally, don’t try to alter your experience… LookNeg>Look Neu “He’s in pain, suffering, hospital, may die soon….” Think about image in way that makes you feel less negative…. ReappraiseNeg>Look Neg “Receiving treatment, is hearty, will be right as rain….”

26. weak strong 1 2 3 4 5 Typical Design for Studying Re-appraisal REAPPRAISE or LOOK RELAX Strength of Affect Instructional cue Stimulus period Affect rating Inter-trial interval 2 secs 8 secs 2 secs 4-10 secs

27. Reappraisal significantly decreases negative affect Strong 7 Effects of reappraisal p < .001 6 5 4 Strength of Negative Affect 3 2 1 0 Weak Look Reapp Look Negative Photo Neutral Photo

28. Look neg Look > Decrease Reapp % signal change Look neu Photo 10 secs Cue 2sec Lag Reappraisal significantly decreases amygdala response

29. Medial PFC DLPFC VLPFC Preparing to Reappraise Aversive Images Reappraising Aversive Images Dorsal lateral PFC (DLPFC) Medial PFC Ventral lateral PFC (VLPFC) Increase > Look Increase > Look Reappraise > Look Neg Reappraise > Look Neg

30. Regions Supporting Reappraisal(Reappraise > Look) Dorsal PFC p < .001 medial lateral Medial PFC Dorsal ACC Ventral PFC Controls Dorsal PFC lateral medial p < .001 Medial PFC Ventral PFC Depressed

31. Lateral PFC Top-down implementation of cognitive reappraisals Amygdala Generate initial response Anterior Cingulate Cortex Medial PFC Monitor reappraisal success Self-awareness of emotion during reappraisal Working Model of the Cognitive Control of Emotion Lateral Medial

32. Response ModulationDirectly influencing physiological, experiential, or expression Examples -Hide or present facial expression -Use exercise or drugs to decrease experience Contextual Event EMOTION Observable Response

33. Suppression

34. Emotional Suppression Inhibit emotion so that emotions are hidden from others (response modulation) Consequences Lab Session (short-term) Facial expression, somatic activity, heart rate Blinking, GSR Chronic Suppressors (long-term) Positive expression and experience Negative experience Interpersonal functioning and well-being

35. Emotional Suppression • Get into groups of 2 or 3 • One person in group will look at the screen • Try to suppress your facial expression • The other(s) will look at that person’s face (and not the screen) • Try to find out when your partner sees something disturbing.

41. Emotional Suppression • Switch!

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48. What is the relationship between Social Cognition and Emotion?

49. What is the relation btw. Soc-Cog and Emotion? Social Cognition What do you feel, think, want right now? What are your traits/dispositions? Did he intend to be mean? Is he an aggressive guy?

50. What is the relation btw. Soc-Cog and Emotion? Social Cognition What do you feel, think, want right now? What are your traits/dispositions? What are you expressing? How am I feeling (expressing, physio responding)? Emotion Does he look angry? How upset am I? (Is her heart racing, etc.)