Robert F. Simons 1, Jason S. Moser 2, Greg Hajcak 3 & Jason W. Krompinger 1 1 University of Delaware 2 Michigan State University 3 Stony Brook University

 Snoop Dogg

 Introduction ◦ Emotion regulation ◦ Event-related brain potentials (ERPs)  Main Focus ◦ Sensitivity of ERPs to affective content of pictures ◦ Can ERPs be modulated by emotion-regulation instructions? ◦ What are some temporal characteristics of different types of emotion regulation? ◦ Reappraisal v. Suppression – Does strategy matter? ◦ An emotion-cognition interaction  What to do next?

 Introduction ◦ Emotion regulation  Dysregulation thought to underlie a variety of psychopathologies  An example of emotion-cognition interaction  Cognitive control of emotion  Manipulate (regulate) emotion – How does it impact cognition? ◦ Event-related brain potentials (ERPs)  Early studies focused on autonomic measures  Most current work involves fMRI  ERPs have advantages  Direct manifestation of neural activity  Real-time measure  Sensitive to affective properties of eliciting stimuli

 Introduction ◦ Emotion regulation ◦ Event-related brain potentials (ERPs)  Main Focus ◦ Sensitivity of ERPs to affective content of pictures ◦ Can ERPs be modulated by emotion-regulation instructions?  Does valence matter?  Do specific instructions matter?  Does direction of regulation matter? ◦ What are some temporal characteristics of different types of emotion regulation?  Summary & Plans

Lang et al., 1999

Schupp et al., 2000 Larger for motivationally relevant stimuli Reflects facilitated attentional/ perceptual processing LPP

Larger for motivationally relevant stimuli Sustained for picture duration LPP Cuthbert et al., 2000

Larger for motivationally relevant stimuli Motivational differences sustained past slide termination LPP Hajcak & Olvet, 2008

 Introduction ◦ Emotion regulation ◦ Event-related brain potentials (ERPs)  Main Focus ◦ Sensitivity of ERPs to affective content of pictures ◦ Can ERPs be modulated by emotion-regulation instructions?  Does valence matter?  Do specific instructions matter?  Does direction of regulation matter? ◦ What are some temporal characteristics of emotion regulation?  What to do next?

”The extrinsic or intrinsic processes responsible for monitoring, evaluating and modifying emotional reactions, especially their intensity and temporal features … “ (Thompson, 1994, pp )

 Attentional Deployment ◦ Overt or covert refocusing  Cognitive reappraisal ◦ Think about the stimulus from different perspectives ◦ Think about possible outcomes for the stimulus  Behavioral expression regulation ◦ Control facial expressions of emotion

 Attentional Deployment ◦ Overt or covert refocusing  Cognitive reappraisal ◦ Think about the stimulus from different perspectives ◦ Think about possible outcomes for the stimulus  Behavioral expression regulation ◦ Control facial expressions of emotion

Decisions Judge Valence Count people Attending to Affect Hajcak, Moser & Simons, 2006

Attentional Focus Cue at Onset Cue at 3000 ms Attending to Affect Dunning & Hajcak, 2008

Attentional Focus Tone cues at 3000 ms Attend neutral content Attend arousing content Attending to Affect Hajcak, Dunning & Foti, 2008

 Attentional Deployment ◦ Overt or covert refocussing  Cognitive reappraisal ◦ Think about the stimulus from different perspectives ◦ Think about possible outcomes for the stimulus  Behavioral expression regulation ◦ Control facial expressions of emotion

Moser, Hajcak, Bukay & Simons, 2006

Instruction to View Naturally 50% Block 1 SUPPRESS Blocks 2 & 3 ENHANCE 2000 ms500 ms1000 ms Fix

Moser et al., 2000 View

View = Enhance > Suppress Regulate

Hajcak & Nieuwenhuis, 2006

Pictures preceded by brief description Reappraisal without effort Effects present at 30 minute re- presentation LPP Foti & Hajcak, 2008 The harmless snake is in a zoo exhibit. The snake is about to attack.

Krompinger, Moser & Simons, 2008

Instruction to View Naturally 50% Block 1 SUPPRESS Blocks 2 & 3 ENHANCE 2000 ms500 ms1000 ms Fix

Krompinger et al., 2008 View

View = Enhance > Suppress Regulate

Moser, Krompinger, Dietz & Simons, 2009

LOOK Block 1 Block ms1000 ms 4000 ms DECREASE LOOK INCREASE B/F

Pre-pic effects SPN Picture effects LPP Cue 2000 ms Picture 3500 ms 1000 ms

Pre-pic effects SPN Picture effects LPP Cue 2000 ms Picture 3500 ms 1000 ms

 Look ◦ “I looked at the picture and let my emotions run naturally.”  Decrease ◦ “I looked at the pictures as if I was detached from the situation.”  Increase ◦ “I tried to view them as happening to someone I know.”

 Pre-picture (SPN) effects ◦ Decrease associated with increased preparatory activity ◦ No increase effect  Picture (LPP) effects ◦ Decrease and increase associated with similar time course; starting at ~400ms ◦ Emotion regulation occurred ~100ms after emotion effect ◦ Regulation is not a filter

 The LPP seems to be a viable measure of emotion regulation outcome and together with other ERP components can provide insights into emotion regulation processes  Timing of emotion regulation quite fast ◦ Regulation seems to follow shortly after emotion effects… ◦ and, can involve preparation prior to stimulus onset

Moser, Krompinger, Dietz & Simons, in preparation

LOOK Group 1 Group ms1500 ms 6000 ms REAPPRAISE LOOK SUPPRESS B/F

Results: LPP uV time (ms) Pz

Results: Emotion Intensity

Results: Effort

Moser, Most & Simons, 2010

‘LOOK’ Block 1 Block ms ‘DECREASE’ ‘LOOK’ ‘INCREASE’ ms1800 ms

Results: Stroop Interference

Dietz, 2009

Low AnxiousHigh Anxious Dietz, 2008