Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 18, 2026

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
The Effects of Moderate- to High-Intensity Physical Exercise on Emotion Regulation and Subsequent Cognitive Control
Baole Tao1, Tianci Lu1, Hanwen Chen1
1College of Physical Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China.
None:
Objectives: Chronic psychological stress among college students increases sensitivity to negative emotional stimuli. Emotion regulation, a critical coping mechanism, draws upon cognitive resources and may impair subsequent cognitive control. Physical exercise has been proposed as an effective intervention to enhance both emotional and cognitive functioning. This study investigated whether a 12-week structured exercise intervention could modulate emotion regulation outcomes and improve cognitive control in college students experiencing high psychological stress. Methods: Forty-seven college students, identified as highly stressed via the Chinese College Students Psychological Stress Scale, were randomly assigned to either an exercise group (n = 25) or a control group (n = 22). The exercise group participated in supervised rope-jumping sessions three times per week for 40 min, following ACSM guidelines, over 12 weeks. Before and after the intervention, participants completed tasks measuring two emotion regulation strategies-expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal-and tasks assessing cognitive control. Results: A significant group × time × strategy interaction emerged for subjective emotional valence: following the intervention, the exercise group reported attenuated negative valence under expressive suppression. For subjective arousal, post-intervention ratings decreased under suppression but increased under reappraisal in the exercise group, suggesting strategy-specific modulation by physical activity. Regarding cognitive control, electrophysiological measures revealed that the P3 component showed a significant interaction: the exercise group exhibited enhanced P3 amplitudes in congruent versus incongruent conditions after the intervention. Moreover, P3 interference scores were significantly reduced post-intervention in the exercise group compared to both its pre-intervention baseline and the control group. Conclusions: A 12-week aerobic exercise intervention enhanced emotion regulation outcomes and improved cognitive control under high psychological stress. These findings underscore the utility of physical exercise as a non-pharmacological approach to bolster cognitive-affective resilience in young adults.
More Related Videos
06:15A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
07:32Use of Galvanic Skin Responses, Salivary Biomarkers, and Self-reports to Assess Undergraduate Student Performance During a Laboratory Exam Activity
Published on: February 10, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Psychological Responses to Stress
Self-Regulation
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques III
The Role of Exercise in Stress Management
Regular physical activity is essential for reducing stress and promoting cardiovascular health. Exercise strengthens the heart, enhances blood flow, keeps blood vessels flexible, and helps lower blood pressure, all of which reduce the body's stress response. Research shows that adults who exercise regularly have nearly half the...
Coping Strategies: Emotion Focused
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle
The Influence of Cognition on Affect