Automatic Reappraisal-Based Implementation Intention Produces Early and Sustainable Emotion Regulation Effects: Event-Related Potential Evidence

Abstract

Implementation intention has proven effective in regulating intense emotions but is found to be difficult when instructed regulation is used. Here, we aim to test whether automatic reappraisal-based implementation intention (RII) downregulates intense negative emotion more efficiently than controlled reappraisal (CR) using a two-phase event-related potential (ERP) experiment. In the regulation phase, both RII and CR decreased subjective experiences of negative emotion relative to passive watching, irrespective of emotional intensity. Moreover, RII reduced the central-parietal late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes for both intensities in the 300-1,700-ms epoch after picture onset, whereas CR reduced LPP amplitudes just in the 500-700-ms interval. Moreover, the application of RII but not CR produced a reliable long-term LPP attenuation compared to passive watching in the unexpected re-exposure phase. These findings demonstrate that reappraisal-based implementation intention yields an earlier and more sustainable emotion regulatory effects than controlled reappraisal.

Keywords: cognitive reappraisal; emotional intensity; event-related potentials; implementation intention; late positive potential.

Figure 1

The hypothesis of emotion-regulatory speed and effect of automatic regulation vs. controlled regulation in downregulating low- and high-intensity emotion. The size of the rectangle reflects the regulatory effects of automatic regulation (khaki) and controlled regulation (blue) on low- or high-intensity emotional responses.

Figure 2

Subjective ratings of (A) emotional arousal and (B) valence of the passive watching group. **p < 0.001; bars represent standard error. (C) Centro-parietal late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes for different levels of emotional intensities of the watching group during the first exposure phase. Waveforms are averaged across CPz and Pz electrodes. The x-axis runs from the beginning of the baseline (−200 ms before picture onset) to the end of the picture presentation (4,000 ms). (D) Topographical distribution of the difference wave of high intensity minus neutral in the watching group.

Figure 3

Subjective ratings of emotional (A) arousal and (B) valence for RII, CR, and watch groups in low- and high-intensities of the first exposure. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.001; bars represent standard error. RII, reappraisal by implementation intention; CR, controlled reappraisal. (C) Centro-parietal LPP amplitudes for RII, CR, and watch groups in high and low emotional intensities of the first exposure. Waveforms are averaged across CPz and Pz electrodes. The x-axis runs from the beginning of the baseline (−200 ms before picture onset) to the end of the picture presentation (4,000 ms).

Figure 4

Subjective ratings of (A) emotional arousal and (B) valence for RII, CR, and watch groups in high and low emotional intensities of the re-exposure task. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.001; bars represent standard error. RII, reappraisal by implementation intention; CR, controlled reappraisal. (C) Centro-parietal LPP amplitudes for RII, CR, and watch groups in high and low emotional intensities of the re-exposure task. Waveforms are averaged across CPz and Pz electrodes. The x-axis runs from the beginning of the baseline (−200 ms before picture onset) to the end of the picture presentation (4,000 ms).

Figure 5

Picture-locked event-related potentials (ERP) in (A) low and (B) high emotional intensities for the re-exposure task, pooled at fronto-central sites (FC1, FC2, FCz). Picture onset is identified with a dotted line on x-axis. The x-axis runs from the beginning of the baseline (−200 ms before picture onset) to the end of the picture presentation (4,000 ms). RII, reappraisal by implementation intention; CR, controlled reappraisal.