Acceptance versus reappraisal: Behavioral, autonomic, and neural effects

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Emotion regulation (ER) is crucial for well-being.
• Cognitive reappraisal and acceptance are distinct ER strategies.
• Previous research has not compared their effects on behavioral, autonomic, and neural responses to personal negative self-beliefs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the differential effects of cognitive reappraisal and acceptance on emotion regulation.
• To examine behavioral, autonomic, and brain responses to these strategies when applied to personally salient negative self-beliefs.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-five healthy adults underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
• Participants rated negative emotions and underwent physiological monitoring (respiration rate, heart rate, skin conductance).
• They were exposed to neutral statements, personal negative self-beliefs, and then used reappraisal or acceptance strategies.

Main Results:

• Both reappraisal and acceptance reduced negative emotion and physiological arousal compared to reacting.
• Reappraisal led to greater activation in cognitive control, language, and social cognition networks, and reduced amygdala response.
• Acceptance increased activation in cognitive control and attention networks.
• Reappraisal showed greater reduction in negative emotion and higher heart rate compared to acceptance, with reduced amygdala response.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive reappraisal is more effective than acceptance for down-regulating negative emotion.
• Reappraisal may demand greater autonomic, cognitive, and neural resources.
• Both strategies offer distinct pathways for emotion regulation, impacting different brain networks.