Department of psychology, School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.
The Child Psychiatry Division, Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer 5266202, Israel.
Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2019 Dec 30;14(12):1273-1283. doi: 10.1093/scan/nsaa001.
Monitoring and deciding how to adjust an active regulatory strategy in order to maximize adaptive outcomes is an integral element of emotion regulation, yet existing evidence remains scarce. Filling this gap, the present study examined core factors that determine behavioral regulatory monitoring decisions and the neuro-affective consequences of these decisions. Using a novel paradigm, the initial implementation of central downregulation strategies (distraction, reappraisal) and the emotional intensity (high, low) were manipulated, prior to making a behavioral decision to maintain the initial implemented strategy or switch from it. Neuro-affective consequences of these behavioral decisions were evaluated using the Late Positive Potential (LPP), an electro-cortical measure of regulatory success. Confirming predictions, initial implementation of reappraisal in high intensity and distraction in low intensity (Strategy × Intensity combinations that were established in prior studies as non-preferred by individuals), resulted in increased behavioral switching frequency. Neurally, we expected and found that in high (but not low) emotional intensity, where distraction was more effective than reappraisal, maintaining distraction (relative to switching to reappraisal) and switching to distraction (relative to maintaining reappraisal) resulted in larger LPP modulation. These findings suggest that monitoring decisions are consistent with previously established regulatory preferences and are associated with adaptive short-term neural consequences.
监测并决定如何调整主动调节策略以最大限度地提高适应性结果是情绪调节的一个组成部分，但现有证据仍然很少。为了填补这一空白，本研究检查了决定行为调节监测决策的核心因素以及这些决策的神经情感后果。使用一种新的范式，在做出维持初始实施策略或从其切换的行为决策之前，操纵了中央下调策略（分心、重新评价）的初始实施和情绪强度（高、低）。使用晚期正电位 (LPP) 评估这些行为决策的神经情感后果，这是一种调节成功的电皮质测量。证实了预测，在高强度下实施重新评价和在低强度下实施分心（在先前的研究中，这些策略组合被确定为个体不喜欢的），导致行为切换频率增加。从神经上看，我们预计并发现，在高（而非低）情绪强度下，分心比重新评价更有效，与切换到重新评价相比，保持分心（相对于切换到重新评价）和切换到分心（相对于保持重新评价）导致更大的 LPP 调制。这些发现表明，监测决策与先前确立的调节偏好一致，并与适应性短期神经后果相关。
