Effects of Reappraisal on the Physiological Correlates of
Emotional
i Responses to Negative
i Images
Scott Jeffers, Eric Mann, Alexander Lehmicke, Haley Scholze, Aaron Rehlinger.
Faculty Advisors: Desiree Budd & Michael Donnelly
OUR GOALS: 1.To examine how ERP and EDA in negative emotional situations are altered by active coping strategies like distraction and cognitive reappraisal.
2. To examine the long term effects of using these strategies.
3. To try to assess the relative effects of active coping versus mere exposure.
Responses
after Reappraisal
Initial Responses to
Emotional Pictures
500 ms
***
3000 ms
500 ms
10000 ms
10000 ms
Subjects
S
bj t viewed
i
d
90 negative pictures
For about 5 sec
***
5000ms
500ms
Responses
after 7 day delay
[INSTRUCT]
500 ms
***
5000 ms
***
Subjects viewed the
90 emotionally
negative pictures. For
each, they performed
one of three tasks:
Reappraise, Attend,
or Count Backwards
500 ms
***
5000ms
500ms
***
Subjects come back
after 7 days to view
the 90 emotionally
negative pictures one
more time.
----RESULTS---Scalp Potential (microVolts)
8
EEG (first exposure)
REAPP
ATTEND
6
COUNT
4
2
0
‐250
0
250
500
1000
1250
‐2
‐4
TIME AFTER PICTURE ONSET (msec)
0.30
EDA (delta micro Mhos)
750
EDA (first exposure)
0.10
1500
These two figures show subjects’ overall
response to the negative pictures on the
first exposure. EEG is in the top panel
and EDA is in the bottom panel.
8
ATTEND
4
COUNT
2
‐2
The LPP is high and about equal in all
conditions, which is expected because at
This point subjects are not treating the
pictures
i t
differently.
diff
tl
0.30
0
‐250
0
250
500
750
1000
1250
‐4
‐0.50
‐0.70
‐0.90
‐500
500
1500
2500
TIME AFTER PICTURE ONSET (msec)
3500
In the bottom panel, we can see that
subjects show no real EDA to the
pictures, which is unexpected. On the
other hand, we can see that like the EEG,
all three conditions show the same
pattern.
•LPP is thought to be a neural correlate of emotions on stimulus processing
•EDA is the PNS correlate of the body’s activity during and emotional response
Acknowledgements: Funded in part by NSF Grant
DUE# 0536531. Email: jefferss@uwstout.edu
1500
The Late Positive Potential (LPP) has shifted
towards the baseline in all three conditions,
reflecting the change in the way the brain
processes the stimuli, probably due to
desensitization.
More importantly, the LPP is about the same for
all conditions, showing the Reappraisal (REAPP)
appears to offer no advantage over mere
exposure (ATTEND) or distraction (COUNT)
0 10
0.10
‐0.10
‐0.30
These two figures show subjects’ overall
response to the negative pictures AFTER THEY
HAD DONE EACH OF THE THREE TASKS.
EEG is in the top panel and EDA is in the bottom
panel.
8
EEG (1 week later)
REAPP
6
ATTEND
4
COUNT
2
0
Of particular interest in the top panel
is the Late Positive Potential (LPP) which
starts about 350 msec post-stimulus
onset, and continues out past 1500 msec
‐0.10
EEG (after task completion)
REAPP
6
‐0.30
0
250
500
750
1000
1250
‐4
‐6
EDA (after task completion)
‐0.90
‐500
500
1500
2500
3500
In the bottom panel, it appears that REAPP and
COUNT both result in lower
Sympathetic NS activation, showing that
Their advantage might be in stemming some of
the immediate felt emotional impact of the
pictures.
0.10
----CONCLUSIONS---•LPP is altered in all three conditions equally, which •LPP
is altered in all three conditions equally which
demonstrates that mere exposure is as effective in diminishing it as are the active strategies.
•EDA remains only in the ATTEND condition, showing an advantage at the level of the sympathetic NS for the active strategies.
The Late Positive Potential (LPP) has
shifted back to the levels it was at for the
first exposure in all three conditions,
reflecting a diminished desensitization.
In the bottom panel, it appears that REAPP
and COUNT now result in HIGHER EDA
than attend, showing that perhaps the
strategies prevented long term
desensitization at the level of the
sympathetic NS.
‐0.10
‐0.50
‐0.70
1500
More importantly, the LPP does appear to
show slight advantages for distraction
(COUNT) and reappraisal (REAPP).
0.30
‐0.30
‐0.50
‐0.70
‐250
‐2
These two figures show subjects’ overall
response to the negative pictures 1 WEEK
LATER. EEG is in the top panel and EDA is
in the bottom panel.
EDA (1 week later)
‐0.90
‐500
500
1500
2500
3500
•LPP returns after seven days, regardless of what Subjects thought on Day 1 showing no long term advantage for
thought on Day 1, showing no long term advantage for active coping strategies
•EDA though now it appears that there is a slight DISADVANTAGE for the active strategies (distraction and reappraisal), perhaps reflecting more lasting desensitization of the sympathetic response in the ATTEND condition.