Cognitive reappraisal and acceptance: Effects on emotion, physiology, and perceived cognitive costs.

Summary & key facts

This lab study compared two ways people try to manage emotions: cognitive reappraisal (changing how you think about a situation) and acceptance (not judging or trying to change feelings). In two samples totaling 142 people, reappraisal led to bigger drops in negative feelings and bigger increases in positive feelings during sad film clips and the recovery period. Participants said acceptance was easier to use than reappraisal, and in one sample acceptance was linked with a smaller change in skin conductance level during the films (which the authors interpreted as better physiological regulation). The study shows these strategies have different short-term effects in the lab.

Key facts:

• The study used a within-subjects design with two samples and a total of N = 142 participants.
• Reappraisal (compared with acceptance) produced larger decreases in self-reported negative emotion during the sad film clips and during the recovery period.
• Reappraisal (compared with acceptance) produced larger increases in self-reported positive emotion during the film clips and recovery.
• Participants rated acceptance as less difficult to deploy than reappraisal.
• In one of the two samples, acceptance was associated with a smaller dampening of skin conductance level during the film clips; the authors interpreted this pattern as indicating more successful physiological regulation.
• The study measured three types of outcomes: subjective negative and positive emotions, physiological responses (skin conductance), and perceived regulatory effort, difficulty, and success, and focused on short-term responses to a lab mood i

Abstract

Two emotion regulation strategies-cognitive reappraisal and acceptance-are both associated with beneficial psychological health outcomes over time. However, it remains unclear whether these 2 strategies are associated with differential consequences for emotion, physiology, or perceived cognitive costs in the short-term. The present study used a within-subjects design to examine the effects of reappraisal (reframing one's thoughts) and acceptance (accepting feelings without trying to control or judge them) on the subjective experience of negative emotions, positive emotions, and physiological responses during and following recovery from sad film clips shown in the laboratory. Participants also reported on perceived regulatory effort, difficulty, and success after deploying each emotion regulation strategy. In 2 samples of participants (N = 142), reappraisal (vs. acceptance) was associated with larger decreases in negative and larger increases in positive emotions, both during the film clips and recovery period. However, acceptance was perceived as less difficult to deploy than reappraisal, and was associated with a smaller dampening of skin conductance level (indicating more successful regulation) during the film clips in 1 sample. These results suggest that reappraisal and acceptance may exert differential short-term effects: Whereas reappraisal is more effective for changing subjective experiences in the short term, acceptance may be less difficult to deploy and be more effective at changing one's physiological response. Thus, these 2 strategies may both be considered "effective" for different reasons. (PsycINFO Database Record

Topics

Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development Mental Health Research Topics

Categories

Experimental and Cognitive Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Cognition Cognitive appraisal Cognitive psychology Cognitive reappraisal Cognitive reframing Expressive Suppression Feeling Neuroscience Psychology Social psychology