Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
08:09
Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
Behavioural laterality as a factor in emotional regulation.
1a Psychology Department , University of Hawaii at Manoa , Honolulu , Hawaii , USA.
Laterality
|May 18, 2013
Summary
Behavioral laterality influences emotional regulation. Low-dominance individuals experience less anxiety using cognitive reappraisal, a verbal strategy, compared to high-dominance individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Emotional Regulation
Background:
- Individuals differ in behavioral laterality, ranging from high-dominance (task-specific side use) to low-dominance (both-side use).
- Neurological and cognitive differences are hypothesized between high- and low-dominance individuals.
- Behavioral laterality's impact on emotional regulation strategies remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if behavioral laterality predicts the effectiveness of various emotional regulation strategies.
- To examine the hypothesis that behavioral laterality influences verbal strategies (left hemisphere) in regulating anxiety (right hemisphere).
- To assess the role of cognitive reappraisal, attention deployment, and response modulation in relation to behavioral laterality and anxiety.
Main Methods:
- Three studies were conducted involving participants presenting in front of small audiences.
- Behavioral laterality was assessed using a modified handedness inventory.
- Emotional regulation strategies included cognitive reappraisal, attention deployment, and response modulation.
Main Results:
- Behavioral laterality positively correlated with presentation anxiety.
- Low-dominance participants reported significantly less anxiety than high-dominance participants when employing cognitive reappraisal.
- This effect was not observed for attention deployment or response modulation, indicating strategy specificity.
Conclusions:
- Individual differences in behavioral laterality appear to mediate the efficacy of specific emotional regulation strategies.
- Cognitive reappraisal, a verbal strategy, is particularly influenced by behavioral laterality in managing anxiety.
- These findings suggest a nuanced relationship between hemispheric specialization, behavioral patterns, and emotional control.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
01:28Lateralization
Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.
01:29The Influence of Cognition on Affect
Cognition plays a pivotal role in shaping emotional experiences, as demonstrated by Schachter and Singer’s two-factor theory of emotion. According to this model, emotion arises from a combination of physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation. The body’s physiological response to stimuli is ambiguous and only gains emotional significance through cognitive labeling. For instance, an increased heart rate and adrenaline surge while standing near an attractive person may be interpreted as...
01:30Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development
Social-emotional experiences and cultural influences play significant roles in shaping gender development. During middle childhood, from ages 6 to 11, peer groups become dominant in reinforcing gender norms. Children in this age group often align with same-gender peer groups, which actively encourage behaviors that conform to traditional gender roles. For instance, boys may be discouraged from engaging in activities perceived as feminine, reinforcing culturally dictated norms about masculinity...
01:20Labeling Emotion
Emotional labeling is a cognitive process that involves identifying and naming one's emotions, such as anger, fear, happiness, or sadness. It allows individuals to recognize and express their internal emotional states, a critical aspect of emotional regulation and communication. Labeling emotions requires more than mere recognition; it also involves drawing upon memory and contextual cues to understand the current situation and apply a corresponding emotional label. For instance, feeling...
01:26Emotional Expression
Emotional expression encompasses how individuals convey their emotions through verbal communication and non-verbal cues. These non-verbal actions include facial expressions, body language, and physical gestures, such as frowning or smiling. Among these, facial expressions play a crucial role in emotional expression and are understood universally, indicating a biological basis for how humans communicate emotions.
Universal Facial Expressions
Psychologist Paul Ekman identified seven basic...
Universal Facial Expressions
Psychologist Paul Ekman identified seven basic...