The influence of dispositional cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression on post‐retrieval and standard extinction. (24th March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kitamura, Haruka; Strodl, Esben; Johnston, Patrick; Johnson, Luke R.
• Is Part Of: Psychophysiology. Volume 59:Number 9(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2022-03-24
• Subjects: cognitive reappraisal -- electrodermal activity -- expressive suppression -- half‐recovery time -- memory reconsolidation -- post‐retrieval extinction; Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14048
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0048-5772

Abstract

Abstract: Individual differences in the ability to habitually regulate emotion may impact the efficacy of fear memory extinction. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between dispositional cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression with post‐retrieval and standard extinction. Fear memory and extinction were measured with the recovery of skin conductance responses. We also examined the relationship between a temporal feature of electrodermal responding (half‐recovery time) and each of the emotion regulation strategies. University students ( N = 80) underwent a three‐day fear conditioning procedure using a within‐subject design consisting of acquisition on day one, post‐retrieval extinction and standard extinction on day two, and recovery test on day three. Individual difference data on self‐reported levels of cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, trait anxiety, and depression were collected. We did not detect a relationship between the two emotion regulation strategies measured in this study and acquisition or extinction. We found, however, that increased dispositional use of cognitive reappraisal was associated with lower spontaneous recovery to both the post‐retrieval extinction and standard extinction stimulus after controlling for age, trait anxiety, and depression. There were no associations between expressive suppression and conditioned responses. We also observed patterns of faster dissipation of arousal for reappraisal and slower for suppression to the conditioned stimulus during extinction training, which may represent the unique influence of each emotion strategy on the regulation of fear. We conclude greater daily use of cognitive reappraisal, but not expressive suppression, associates with extinction retention after receiving both standard and post‐retrieval extinction. Abstract : Research indicates the habitual use of cognitive reappraisal effectively reduces negative affect and enhances attention and memory for threat stimuli. Our findings build upon the literature by demonstrating a link between increased use of cognitive reappraisal and reduced spontaneous recovery to threat stimuli after standard and post‐retrieval extinction. Additionally, a general pattern in the time course of electrodermal responding during extinction revealed faster dissipation of arousal in participants who reported increased use of cognitive reappraisal.