title: High working memory load impairs the effect of cognitive reappraisal on emotional response: Evidence from an event-related potential study.
abstract: This study investigates how the working memory (WM) load influenced the efficacy of cognitive reappraisal, a frequently used strategy for emotion regulation. In a dual-task paradigm, the participants were required to perform a high-load or a low-load memory task and simultaneously reappraise aversive pictures with a negative or a neutral meaning. In the low-load condition, we found that the amplitude of emotion-enhanced late positive potential (LPP) was significantly decreased by neutral reappraisal compared to negative reappraisal. In the high-load condition, this regulatory effect of reappraisal disappeared. These results suggest that successful reappraisal relies on cognitive resources and WM processes. If the necessary resources involved in reappraisal are over-depleted by a concurrent memory task, the reappraisal effect will be impaired. Moreover, we found that emotion-enhanced LPP was significant in both of the high-load and low-load tasks, which suggests that emotional electrocortical response may not be susceptible to the available resources.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China; Department of Applied Psychology, Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, Shanghai, PR China.
authors.forename: Shuzhen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, PR China.
authors.forename: Jianfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, PR China.
authors.forename: Xuhai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiuping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China. Electronic address: yangyf@psych.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Yufang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cognitive reappraisal; Emotion regulation; Late positive potential; Working memory load