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Perchtold-Stefan CM, Schertler M, Paechter M, Fink A, Weiss EM, Papousek I. Learning to be inventive in the face of statistics: A positive reappraisal intervention for statistics anxiety. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2024; 82:101913. [PMID: 37757655 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2023.101913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The burden of statistics anxiety on students calls for effective interventions. This study investigated whether a cognitive reappraisal training designed to stimulate the generation of positive re-interpretations may yield behavioral changes in anxiety measures and changes in cerebral activation patterns reflecting the activation of approach/avoidance motivational tendencies (frontal EEG alpha asymmetry response). METHODS Three groups of female psychology students (n = 45) with statistics anxiety were tested. Two groups received a guided, two-week reappraisal training with either statistics-anxiety or general anxiety situations; the control group received no intervention. RESULTS Both training groups significantly increased their amount of positive re-interpretations from pre-to post-test compared to the control group. Increased habitual use of reappraisal in statistics situations and significant EEG changes reflecting more approach-oriented coping with anxiety occurred in the statistics-anxiety training group only. No changes in statistics anxiety and statistics attitudes were observed, suggesting that the training effects, though corroborated through neurophysiological changes, did not sufficiently translate to improving students' deep-rooted anxiety. LIMITATIONS Effects, though robust and following the same pattern, were observed in a small sample. CONCLUSIONS Our findings delineate a promising expandable approach for helping students' cope with statistics anxiety in a healthier way.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Magdalena Schertler
- Center for Disability and Integration, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Manuela Paechter
- Educational Psychology Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Graz, Austria
| | - Andreas Fink
- Biological Psychology Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Graz, Austria
| | - Elisabeth M Weiss
- Clinical Psychology Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ilona Papousek
- Biological Psychology Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Graz, Austria
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Wang J, Li Q, Li Z, Chen A. EEG-based multivariate pattern analysis reveals the control mechanisms of emotion regulation through distancing. Int J Clin Health Psychol 2024; 24:100423. [PMID: 38059070 PMCID: PMC10696394 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2023.100423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background/objective A neurocognitive model of distancing has systematically identified a set of brain regions that support the control mechanisms for emotion regulation (ER). However, the temporal dynamics of these control mechanisms during ER remains unclear. Method To address this issue, we recorded behavioral and electroencephalogram (EEG) data to compare proactive and reactive ER modes in an adapted ER task (N = 30 adults). In different ER modes, participants were instructed to downregulate their negative emotional experiences by applying the reappraisal tactic of distancing. Results The behavioral results showed that proactive ER, which involves preparing for the upcoming regulation, reduced the negative emotional experience more than reactive ER, which involves no preparation process, in the reappraisal-negative condition. This indicated that proactive ER was more effective than reactive ER in regulating negative emotions. Event-related potential (ERP) and multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) results showed that ER through distancing involved two phases: First, the reappraisal cue enhanced the allocation of attention to activate the mental building blocks and constructed a new perspective in the preparation process. Second, participants who benefited from the preparation process initiated the ER earlier and adaptively re-engaged in the ER if time permitted. Conclusions Taken together, the control mechanisms underlying the preparation process influence the timing of ER, while the control mechanisms underlying the regulation process determine the regulatory effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- School of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
| | - Qing Li
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhifang Li
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Antao Chen
- School of Psychology, Research Center for Exercise and Brain Science, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
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3
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Chen J, Yu T, Liu C, Yang Y, Lan Y, Li W. The effect of trait anxiety on the time course of self-relevant processing: Evidence from the perceptual matching task. Biol Psychol 2023; 178:108529. [PMID: 36868295 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Studies have widely reported that trait anxiety is associated with a range of cognitive biases toward external negative emotional stimuli. However, few studies have examined whether trait anxiety modulates intrinsic self-relevant processing. This study investigated the electrophysiological mechanism underlying trait anxiety's modulating effect on self-relevant processing. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while participants performed a perceptual matching task that assigned an arbitrary geometric shape to an association with a "self" or "non-self" label. Results showed larger N1 amplitudes under self-association than under friend-association conditions, and smaller P2 amplitudes for self- than for stranger-association conditions in individuals with high trait anxiety. However, these self-biases in the N1 and P2 stages were not observed in those with low trait anxiety until the later N2 stage, in which the self-association condition provoked smaller N2 amplitudes than the stranger-association condition. In addition, both high and low trait anxiety individuals showed larger P3 amplitudes for the self-association condition than for the friend- and stranger-association conditions. These findings suggest that, although both high and low trait anxiety individuals showed self-bias, high trait anxiety individuals distinguished between self-relevant and non-self-relevant stimuli at an earlier stage, which may reflect hypervigilance to self-relevant stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Chen
- School of Education Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Tingwei Yu
- School of Education Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Cuihong Liu
- School of Education Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Yuchen Yang
- School of Education Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Yadi Lan
- School of Education Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Wenjie Li
- School of Education Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China.
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Guo L. Reflect on emotional events from an observer's perspective: a meta-analysis of experimental studies. Cogn Emot 2022; 36:1531-1554. [PMID: 36256910 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2022.2134094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Self-distancing has been proposed as an emotion regulation strategy to reduce the duration and intensity of emotions. This meta-analysis synthesised 48 studies and 102 effect sizes examining the effects of self-distancing on emotion regulation. The results showed an overall significant, small effect of self-distancing in attenuating emotional responses (Hedges' g = -0.26, 95%CI: [-0.36, -0.15]). Moderator analyses highlighted the efficacy of one intervention feature: approach. Stronger effect was associated with the visual and verbal approach to process emotional events, in comparison to the visual only approach and the pronouns approach. The effectiveness of self-distancing was consistent across other intervention features (context, stimuli, time, emotional outcome) and individual characteristics (emotional vulnerability, age, culture). These findings suggest that self-distancing is effective in emotion regulation when people externalise and articulate thoughts through writing and talking. Practical implications were discussed in relation to the design of interventions to enhance emotional well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Guo
- Languages, Literatures and Linguistics Department, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
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Xing C, Zhang Y, Lu H, Zhu X, Miao D. Trait anxiety affects attentional bias to emotional stimuli across time: A growth curve analysis. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:972892. [PMID: 36188484 PMCID: PMC9516103 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.972892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies have illustrated the close relationship between anxiety disorders and attentional functioning, but the relationship between trait anxiety and attentional bias remains controversial. This study examines the effect of trait anxiety on the time course of attention to emotional stimuli using materials from the International Affective Picture System. Participants with high vs. low trait anxiety (HTA vs. LTA) viewed four categories of pictures simultaneously: dysphoric, threatening, positive, and neutral. Their eye-movements for each emotional stimulus were recorded for static and dynamic analysis. Data were analyzed using a mixed linear model and growth curve analysis. Specifically, the HTA group showed a greater tendency to avoid threatening stimuli and more pupil diameter variation in the early period of stimulus presentation (0–7.9 s). The HTA group also showed a stronger attentional bias toward positive and dysphoric stimuli in the middle and late period of stimulus presentation (7.9–30 s). These results suggest that trait anxiety has a significant temporal effect on attention to emotional stimuli, and that this effect mainly manifests after 7 s. In finding stronger attentional avoidance of threatening stimuli and more changes in neural activity, as well as a stronger attentional bias toward positive stimuli, this study provides novel insights on the relationship between trait anxiety and selective attention.
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Hudak J, Bernat EM, Fix ST, Prince KC, Froeliger B, Garland EL. Neurophysiological Deficits During Reappraisal of Negative Emotional Stimuli in Opioid Misuse. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:1070-1078. [PMID: 35393080 PMCID: PMC9167218 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opioid misuse is hypothesized to compromise the ability to regulate negative emotions, as manifested through visceral and peripheral physiological signals. However, neurophysiological impairment of top-down cognitive emotion regulation in opioid misuse has not previously been shown. METHODS Patients with chronic pain who had been taking opioids for 90 days or longer (N = 149; female, n = 98) underwent a negative emotion regulation task with electroencephalography. Participants were instructed to view or reappraise negative images presented for 3 seconds. Using a validated cutoff score on the Current Opioid Misuse Measure, participants were classified as exhibiting aberrant drug-related behavior consistent with opioid misuse (MISUSE+) or as being low risk for opioid misuse (MISUSE-). Participants reported their craving in response to negative emotions over the past week. RESULTS We observed a group × condition interaction (p = .003) such that the MISUSE- group decreased the late positive potential of the electroencephalography during reappraisal, whereas the MISUSE+ group showed increased late positive potential during reappraisal. This deficit in negative emotion regulation remained significant after controlling for an array of potential confounding variables, including opioid dose, pain, and depression. Heightened late positive potential during reappraisal was associated with more severe opioid craving. CONCLUSIONS Opioid misuse may occasion top-down deficits in emotional regulation that begin as early as 400 ms after presentation of negative stimuli. It remains unknown whether emotion dysregulation is the cause, correlate, or consequence of opioid misuse. Nonetheless, targeting emotion dysregulation in opioid misuse with reappraisal-focused interventions may represent an important treatment approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Hudak
- Center on Mindfulness and Integrative Health Intervention Development, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Edward M Bernat
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Spencer T Fix
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Kort C Prince
- College of Social Work, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Brett Froeliger
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Eric L Garland
- Center on Mindfulness and Integrative Health Intervention Development, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah; College of Social Work, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah; Veterans Health Care Administration VISN 19 Whole Health Flagship, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, Utah.
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Bautista F, MacDonald SE, Bauer EA, Cheng Y, MacNamara A. Generalization of reappraisal to novel negative stimuli as evidenced by the LPP. Int J Psychophysiol 2022; 176:164-170. [PMID: 35421450 PMCID: PMC10851709 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive reappraisal is a well-studied emotion regulation technique that involves changing the meaning of stimuli. To be useful in everyday life, reappraisal's effects would ideally generalize from previously reappraised stimuli to novel, but similar stimuli, saving individuals from needing to generate novel interpretations for similar stimuli. Here, 41 participants were asked to use reappraisal to down-regulate their response to negative pictures from one category (e.g., snakes), and to view negative pictures from another category (e.g., guns) as well as neutral pictures (e.g., plants). In a subsequent task, participants passively viewed novel pictures from all three categories (e.g., snakes, guns, and plants). EEG and subjective ratings of valence and arousal were collected in both tasks. In the reappraisal task, we did not find an effect of reappraisal on the LPP or arousal ratings, but reappraisal reduced ratings of picture unpleasantness. In the second task, negative pictures from the previously reappraised category elicited smaller LPPs than negative pictures from the previously viewed category, though there was no evidence that reappraisal generalized to subjective ratings of pictures. Therefore, at the electrocortical level, cognitive reappraisal may generalize to similar but novel stimuli encountered outside of the reappraisal context. Moreover, meaning change might be more effective in modulating electrocortical response following a delay and in the absence of deliberate attempts to down-regulate emotional response. Nonetheless, reappraisal's effects appear to differ across levels of affective response when similar stimuli are encountered in the absence of willful attempts at reappraisal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faviana Bautista
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States of America
| | - Shannon E MacDonald
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth A Bauer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States of America
| | - Yuhan Cheng
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States of America
| | - Annmarie MacNamara
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States of America.
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Li W, Zhou H, Guo Q, Li G. The Nasopharynx Swab Test for Coronavirus Disease-2019 Is Mild and Will Not Cause Significant Pain and Anxiety: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Psychiatrists. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:592092. [PMID: 34660331 PMCID: PMC8515122 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.592092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Laboratory viral nucleic acid testing (NAT), such as the nasopharyngeal swab test, is now recommended as the gold standard for the diagnosis of Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). However, the nasopharyngeal swab testing process may cause some discomfort. Objective To investigate the influence of nasopharyngeal swab tests on the anxiety and pain felt by psychiatric medical staff. Methods A total of 174 psychiatric medical staff (namely 97 doctors, 68 nurses, and nine administrators) and 27 controls were included in the current study. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect their general demographic information (age, gender, marriage, occupation, profession, smoking history, alcohol consumption history, tea drinking history, previous history of anxiety and depression) as well as their subjective experience, such as nausea, vomiting, coughing, worry, fear, etc, during nasopharyngeal swab collection. The Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to assess the subjects’ pain and state anxiety, respectively. Results There were no statistical differences (p>0.05) in age, marriage, smoking history, a history of anxiety and depression, pain scores, and anxiety scores between different professions and genders. The results of partial correlation analysis (controlled for gender and history of depression or anxiety) indicated that the male gender was negatively correlated with being anxious (r=-0.148, p=0.037) and nervous (r=-0.171 p=0.016), although there was no significant difference in pain and anxiety between men and women. In addition, marriage might help women resist negative emotions. Conclusions 1) There will be mild discomfort during nucleic acid testing, but not enough to cause pain and anxiety; 2) women are more likely to be anxious and nervous during the nucleic acid testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Han Zhou
- Department of Early Psychotic Disorder, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qian Guo
- Department of Early Psychotic Disorder, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Guanjun Li
- Department of Early Psychotic Disorder, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Trait anxiety modulates the temporal dynamics of Stroop task switching: An ERP study. Biol Psychol 2021; 163:108144. [PMID: 34242721 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The current study aimed to find neural evidence that trait anxiety interferes with one's shifting function processing efficiency. Twenty-five high trait-anxiety (HTA) and twenty-five low trait-anxiety (LTA) participants were instructed to complete a cue-based Stroop task-switching assessment of shifting function. No group difference in behavioral performance was shown, though event-related potential (ERP) results in the cue-locked period showed that only the LTA group had a general switch benefit in contingent negative variation (CNV) amplitude, indicating the LTA group exerted less task preparation effort. In the subsequent target-locked period, compared to the LTA group, the local switch cost of target-P3 was higher in the HTA group in incompatible trials, suggesting inefficient attentional resource allocation in the HTA group in incompatible trials. These ERP findings indicated that the HTA group ultimately achieved comparable behavioral performance with the LTA group at the expense of using more compensatory strategies at the neural level.
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