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Assessing Pupil-linked Changes in Locus Coeruleus-mediated Arousal Elicited by Trigeminal Stimulation
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Expressive suppression strengthens coherence between arousal intensity and arousal interpretation
Katherine Knauft1, Alexandra T Tyra1, Thomas A Fergus1
1Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA.
British Journal of Psychology (London, England : 1953)
|February 4, 2026
Summary
Suppressing emotional expression during stress intensifies physiological arousal, leading individuals to interpret it as more debilitating. This finding has implications for understanding stress-related anxiety.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Stress Research
- Emotion Regulation
Background:
- Physiological arousal interpretations link stress intensity to its consequences.
- Expressive suppression may worsen stress perception and arousal interpretation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if expressive suppression affects the link between physiological arousal intensity and its interpretation.
- To investigate the role of expressive suppression in stress appraisal.
Main Methods:
- 224 undergraduates underwent two acute stress tasks.
- Participants rated arousal intensity and its interpretation (facilitative/debilitative).
- One group suppressed emotional expression during the second task; the other did not.
Main Results:
- Expressive suppression moderated the arousal intensity-interpretation association.
- In the suppression group, higher arousal intensity correlated with more debilitative interpretations.
Conclusions:
- Expressive suppression during stress increases the likelihood of interpreting physiological arousal as debilitating.
- This has implications for stress-induced anxiety and emotion regulation strategies.
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