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Startle modulation during conscious emotion regulation is arousal-dependent
Daniel G Dillon1, Kevin S LaBar1
1Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University.
Behavioral Neuroscience
|September 29, 2005
Summary
Conscious emotion regulation influences human startle responses. Findings suggest arousal, not valence, is key for modulating these startle reflexes during emotional experiences.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Conscious regulation of emotions impacts human eyeblink startle responses.
- It remains unclear if this modulation affects arousal or valence processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether conscious emotion regulation modulates arousal- or valence-based processes.
- To examine the effects of enhancing, maintaining, and suppressing emotional responses on startle reflexes.
Main Methods:
- Participants viewed negative, neutral, and positive images.
- They were instructed to enhance, maintain, or suppress their emotional responses.
- Eyeblink startle responses were measured during emotional picture trials.
Main Results:
- Startle responses decreased in the order: enhance > maintain > suppress on emotional trials.
- Similar modulation patterns were observed for both negative and positive pictures.
- Emotion regulation did not affect startle responses on neutral trials.
Conclusions:
- Arousal, rather than valence, appears critical for startle modulation through conscious emotion regulation.
- These findings clarify the mechanisms underlying emotion regulation's effect on physiological responses.