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Varella MAC. Nocturnal selective pressures on the evolution of human musicality as a missing piece of the adaptationist puzzle. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1215481. [PMID: 37860295 PMCID: PMC10582961 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1215481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Human musicality exhibits the necessary hallmarks for biological adaptations. Evolutionary explanations focus on recurrent adaptive problems that human musicality possibly solved in ancestral environments, such as mate selection and competition, social bonding/cohesion and social grooming, perceptual and motor skill development, conflict reduction, safe time-passing, transgenerational communication, mood regulation and synchronization, and credible signaling of coalition and territorial/predator defense. Although not mutually exclusive, these different hypotheses are still not conceptually integrated nor clearly derived from independent principles. I propose The Nocturnal Evolution of Human Musicality and Performativity Theory in which the night-time is the missing piece of the adaptationist puzzle of human musicality and performing arts. The expansion of nocturnal activities throughout human evolution, which is tied to tree-to-ground sleep transition and habitual use of fire, might help (i) explain the evolution of musicality from independent principles, (ii) explain various seemingly unrelated music features and functions, and (iii) integrate many ancestral adaptive values proposed. The expansion into the nocturnal niche posed recurrent ancestral adaptive challenges/opportunities: lack of luminosity, regrouping to cook before sleep, imminent dangerousness, low temperatures, peak tiredness, and concealment of identity. These crucial night-time features might have selected evening-oriented individuals who were prone to acoustic communication, more alert and imaginative, gregarious, risk-taking and novelty-seeking, prone to anxiety modulation, hedonistic, promiscuous, and disinhibited. Those night-time selected dispositions may have converged and enhanced protomusicality into human musicality by facilitating it to assume many survival- and reproduction-enhancing roles (social cohesion and coordination, signaling of coalitions, territorial defense, antipredatorial defense, knowledge transference, safe passage of time, children lullabies, and sexual selection) that are correspondent to the co-occurring night-time adaptive challenges/opportunities. The nocturnal dynamic may help explain musical features (sound, loudness, repetitiveness, call and response, song, elaboration/virtuosity, and duetting/chorusing). Across vertebrates, acoustic communication mostly occurs in nocturnal species. The eveningness chronotype is common among musicians and composers. Adolescents, who are the most evening-oriented humans, enjoy more music. Contemporary tribal nocturnal activities around the campfire involve eating, singing/dancing, storytelling, and rituals. I discuss the nocturnal integration of musicality's many roles and conclude that musicality is probably a multifunctional mental adaptation that evolved along with the night-time adaptive landscape.
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Orlovsky I, Ready RE, Gutchess A, Heideman K, Martins-Klein B. The Role of Autobiographical Resilience Memories in Emotion Regulation: An Account of Age Differences in Mnemonic and Positive Reappraisal. Exp Aging Res 2023:1-26. [PMID: 37690029 PMCID: PMC10924802 DOI: 10.1080/0361073x.2023.2254659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
A lifetime of resilience through emotionally challenging experiences may benefit older adults, lending to emotion regulation mastery with time. Yet the influence of autobiographical experiences on momentary reappraisal, the reinterpretation of negative stimuli as more positive, has never been empirically tested. This online study examined the extent to which associating life memories of resilience with novel negative scenarios enhanced reappraisal efficacy and reduced difficulty to reappraise. Younger and older adults reappraised negative images by associating reappraisals to freely selected autobiographical resilience memories, cued autobiographical resilience memories, or by finding situational silver linings without mnemonic association (control). Changes in image emotional intensity ratings revealed no difference across reappraisal conditions for younger adults, while older adults most effectively down-regulated emotional intensity using the control reappraisal strategy. Older adults found autobiographical memories more helpful for mood regulation and less difficult to implement, and identified greater similarities between novel negative scenarios and their memories than younger adults. Surprisingly, greater similarity between resilience memories and negative images was associated with lower reappraisal efficacy for both age groups. Findings demonstrate the age-equivalent benefits of utilizing reappraisals associated with past narratives of resilience and suggest a sacrifice of immediate hedonic benefit for disproportionately greater subjective benefits with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Orlovsky
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rebecca E Ready
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Angela Gutchess
- Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kristin Heideman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
- Yale school of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Bruna Martins-Klein
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Colombo B, Hamilton A, Telazzi I, Balzarotti S. The relationship between cognitive reserve and the spontaneous use of emotion regulation strategies in older adults: a cross-sectional study. Aging Clin Exp Res 2023:10.1007/s40520-023-02424-9. [PMID: 37142942 DOI: 10.1007/s40520-023-02424-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several studies reported cognitive reserve (CR) as an important factor in promoting healthy aging within a non-clinical aging population. AIMS The main goal of the present study is to investigate the link between higher levels of CR and more effective emotion regulation. In more detail, we examine the association between a number of CR proxies and the habitual use of two emotion regulation strategies, cognitive reappraisal and emotional suppression. METHODS Three hundred and ten older adults aged between 60 and 75 (mean = 64.45, SD = 4.37; 69.4% female) joined this cross-sectional study by filling out self-report measures of CR and emotion regulation.² RESULTS: Reappraisal and suppression use were correlated. Practicing different leisure activities constantly over many years, being more original and having a higher education promoted more frequent use of cognitive reappraisal. These CR proxies were also significantly related to suppression use, even though the percentage of variance explained was lower. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Exploring the role played by the cognitive reserve on different emotion regulation techniques can be useful in understanding which variables predict the use of antecedent-focused (reappraisal) or response-focused (suppression) emotion regulation strategies in aging individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Colombo
- Behavioral Neuroscience Lab, Champlain College, 163 S Willard St, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA.
| | - Adam Hamilton
- Behavioral Neuroscience Lab, Champlain College, 163 S Willard St, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
| | - Ilaria Telazzi
- Psychology Department, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Balzarotti
- Psychology Department, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy
- Research Center in Communication Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano, Italy
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Lipinska G, Austin H, Moonsamy JR, Henry M, Lewis R, Baldwin DS, Thomas KGF, Stuart B. Preferential consolidation of emotional reactivity during sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:976047. [PMID: 36268469 PMCID: PMC9578377 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.976047] [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: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies have investigated whether sleep affects cognitively unmodulated reactivity to emotional stimuli. These studies operationalize emotion regulation by using subjective and/or objective measures to compare pre- and post-sleep reactivity to the same emotional stimuli. Findings have been inconsistent: some show that sleep attenuates emotional reactivity, whereas others report enhanced or maintained reactivity. Across-study methodological differences may account for discrepant findings. To resolve the questions of whether sleep leads to the attenuation, enhancement, or maintenance of emotional reactivity, and under which experimental conditions particular effects are observed, we undertook a synthesized narrative and meta-analytic approach. We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases for relevant articles, using search terms determined a priori and search limits of language = English, participants = human, and dates = January 2006–June 2021. Our final sample included 24 studies that investigated changes in emotional reactivity in response to negatively and/or positively valenced material compared to neutral material over a period of sleep compared to a matched period of waking. Primary analyses used random effects modeling to investigate whether sleep preferentially modulates reactivity in response to emotional stimuli; secondary analyses examined potential moderators of the effect. Results showed that sleep (or equivalent periods of wakefulness) did not significantly affect psychophysiological measures of reactivity to negative or neutral stimuli. However, self-reported arousal ratings of negative stimuli were significantly increased post-sleep but not post-waking. Sub-group analyses indicated that (a) sleep-deprived participants, compared to those who slept or who experienced daytime waking, reacted more strongly and negatively in response to positive stimuli; (b) nap-exposed participants, compared to those who remained awake or who slept a full night, rated negative pictures less negatively; and (c) participants who did not obtain substantial REM sleep, compared to those who did and those exposed to waking conditions, had attenuated reactivity to neutral stimuli. We conclude that sleep may affect emotional reactivity, but that studies need more consistency in methodology, commitment to collecting both psychophysiological and self-report measures, and should report REM sleep parameters. Using these methodological principles would promote a better understanding of under which conditions particular effects are observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gosia Lipinska
- UCT Sleep Sciences and Applied Cognitive Science and Experimental Neuroscience Team (ACSENT), Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- *Correspondence: Gosia Lipinska
| | - Holly Austin
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Jasmin R. Moonsamy
- UCT Sleep Sciences and Applied Cognitive Science and Experimental Neuroscience Team (ACSENT), Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Michelle Henry
- UCT Sleep Sciences and Applied Cognitive Science and Experimental Neuroscience Team (ACSENT), Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Numeracy Centre, Centre for Higher Education Development, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Raphaella Lewis
- UCT Sleep Sciences and Applied Cognitive Science and Experimental Neuroscience Team (ACSENT), Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - David S. Baldwin
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kevin G. F. Thomas
- UCT Sleep Sciences and Applied Cognitive Science and Experimental Neuroscience Team (ACSENT), Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Beth Stuart
- Centre for Evaluation and Methods, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
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Sardella A, Lenzo V, Basile G, Martino G, Quattropani MC. Emotion regulation strategies and difficulties in older adults: A systematic review. Clin Gerontol 2022; 46:280-301. [PMID: 36163629 DOI: 10.1080/07317115.2022.2128706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the types of emotion regulation (ER) strategies used and difficulties in emotion regulation experienced by older adults, within the theoretical frameworks proposed by Gross, and by Gratz and Roemer, respectively. METHODS A systematic search was conducted using principal electronic scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science). The systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses guidelines. RESULTS The final number of articles included was 44. Older adults reported a higher use of adaptive ER strategies, as well as fewer difficulties in ER, compared with younger adults. Findings from this review also suggest that the use of maladaptive ER strategies can also expose older adults to psychological distress, and may affect their adaptation to negative disease-related outcomes more common in later life. CONCLUSIONS Older adults generally showed a greater emotional control compared with younger subjects. Adaptive control strategies, rather than maladaptive control strategies, were correlated with more positive outcomes for psychological distress and adaptation to chronic diseases. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Understanding the nature of ER processes in older adults may contribute to implement tailored interventions aimed at reinforcing adaptive ER processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Sardella
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Vittorio Lenzo
- Department of Social and Educational Sciences of the Mediterranean Area, University for Foreigners "Dante Alighieri" of Reggio Calabria, Reggio, Italy
| | - Giorgio Basile
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Gabriella Martino
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
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Reappraisal-related downregulation of amygdala BOLD activation occurs only during the late trial window. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE, & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 22:777-787. [PMID: 34993926 PMCID: PMC9256861 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-021-00980-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
AbstractDuring cognitive reappraisal, an individual reinterprets the meaning of an emotional stimulus to regulate the intensity of their emotional response. Prefrontal cortex activity has been found to support reappraisal and is putatively thought to downregulate the amygdala response to these stimuli. The timing of these regulation-related responses during the course of a trial, however, remains poorly understood. In the current fMRI study, participants were instructed to view or reappraise negative images and then rate how negative they felt following each image. The hemodynamic response function was estimated in 11 regions of interest for the entire time course of the trial including image viewing and rating. Notably, within the amygdala there was no evidence of downregulation in the early (picture viewing) window of the trial, only in the late (rating) window, which also correlated with a behavioral measure of reappraisal success. With respect to the prefrontal regions, some (e.g., inferior frontal gyrus) showed reappraisal-related activation in the early window, whereas others (e.g., middle frontal gyrus) showed increased activation primarily in the late window. These results highlight the temporal dynamics of different brain regions during emotion regulation and suggest that the amygdala response to negative images need not be immediately dampened to achieve successful cognitive reappraisal.
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Fingerman KL, Ng YT, Zhang S, Britt K, Colera G, Birditt KS, Charles ST. Living Alone During COVID-19: Social Contact and Emotional Well-being Among Older Adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021; 76:e116-e121. [PMID: 33196815 PMCID: PMC7717423 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbaa200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective The COVID-19 outbreak and associated physical distancing measures altered the social world for most older adults, but people who live alone may have been disproportionately affected. The current study examined how living alone was associated with daily social contact and emotional well-being among older adults during the pandemic. Method Adults (N = 226) aged 69+ completed a brief survey assessing their living situation, social contact with different social partners (in person, by phone, electronically), and emotions during the morning, afternoon, and evening the prior day. Results Older adults who live alone were less likely to see others in person or to receive or provide help. Living alone was associated with more positive emotions concurrent with in-person contact. In contrast, phone contact was associated with higher levels of negative affect among those living alone, but not among those who live with others. Older adults who live alone were more likely to have contact with friends (rather than family). Discussion Findings suggest older adults who live alone may be more reactive to social contact during the COVID-19 outbreak than older adults who reside with others. In-person contact may confer distinct benefits not available via telephone contact, suggesting that possible interventions during the pandemic may work best with safe forms of in-person contact, possibly with nonfamily members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Fingerman
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - Yee To Ng
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - Shiyang Zhang
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
| | | | - Gianna Colera
- Professional Counseling, Texas State University, San Marcos
| | - Kira S Birditt
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Susan T Charles
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California at Irvine
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Fingerman KL, Ng YT, Huo M, Birditt KS, Charles ST, Zarit S. Functional Limitations, Social Integration, and Daily Activities in Late Life. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021; 76:1937-1947. [PMID: 33460446 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbab014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Disability in late life has been associated with increases in receiving care and loss of autonomy. The Disablement Process Model suggests that physical impairments lead to functional limitations that contribute to disabilities in managing household, job or other demands. Yet, we know surprisingly little about how functional limitations are related to activities throughout the day among community-dwelling adults, or the possible moderating role of social integration on these associations. METHODS Community-dwelling adults (N = 313) aged 65+ completed a baseline interview assessing their functional limitations, social ties, and background characteristics. Over 5 to 6 days, they answered questions about daily activities and encounters with social partners every 3 hours on handheld Android devices. RESULTS Multilevel logistic models revealed that functional limitations are associated with increased likelihood of activities associated with poor health (e.g., TV watching, medical appointments), and reduced likelihood of social activities, or physical activities, chores, or leaving the home. Most moderation analyses were not significant; family and friends did not mitigate associations between functional limitations and daily activities, with the exception of medical appointments. Individuals with functional limitations were more likely to attend medical appointments when with their social partners than when alone. DISCUSSION This study provided modest indication that functional limitations in community-dwelling older adults are associated with patterns of activity that may lead to further limitations, disability or loss of autonomy. Findings warrant longitudinal follow-up to establish subsequent patterns of decline or stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Fingerman
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
| | - Yee To Ng
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
| | - Meng Huo
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis
| | | | - Susan T Charles
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine
| | - Steven Zarit
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University
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Hamilton LJ, Allard ES. Age Differences in Reappraisal of Negative Autobiographical Memories. Exp Aging Res 2021; 47:165-182. [PMID: 33413041 DOI: 10.1080/0361073x.2020.1871237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Background: Past studies have been equivocal regarding age differences in reappraisal efficacy. Moreover, the use of laboratory-generated stimuli (e.g., images, film clips) may overestimate age differences. Instead, the use of self-relevant stimuli (e.g., autobiographical memory) may better represent the day-to-day implementation of reappraisal. Method: Younger and older adults generated 50 negative memories and provided negativity, positivity, and vividness ratings. One to two weeks later, participants underwent a reappraisal task during which physiological data were collected. Participants implemented one of the three instructions for 30 seconds: remember naturally, increase negative reactions, or decrease negative reactions via a "positivizing" tactic. Results: Prior to the regulation session, older adults rated all memories more positively than younger adults. No age differences in negativity or vividness ratings emerged. After regulation, older adults rated memories more positively, negatively, and vividly than younger adults. Physiological data suggest that reappraisal demands may have been more cognitively demanding for older adults. However, older adults reported higher negativity and positivity than younger adults. Conclusion: This challenges the existing theory regarding age and emotion regulation. We contend that reappraisal was achieved by younger and older adults; however, achievement may have emerged in slightly different ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas J Hamilton
- Department of Psychology, Cleveland State University , Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Eric S Allard
- Department of Psychology, Cleveland State University , Cleveland, OH, USA
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10
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Vieillard S, Pinabiaux C, Bigand E. Positive and Detached Reappraisal of Threatening Music in Younger and Older Adults. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:216. [PMID: 32670038 PMCID: PMC7330061 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Past empirical studies have suggested that older adults preferentially use gaze-based mood regulation to lessen their negative experiences while watching an emotional scene. This preference for a low cognitively demanding regulatory strategy leaves open the question of whether the effortful processing of a more cognitively demanding reappraisal task is really spared from the general age-related decline. Because it does not allow perceptual attention to be redirected away from the emotional source, music provides an ideal way to address this question. The goal of our study was to examine the affective, behavioral, physiological, and cognitive outcomes of positive and detached reappraisal in response to negative musical emotion in younger and older adults. Participants first simply listened to a series of threatening musical excerpts and were then instructed to either positively reappraise or to detach themselves from the emotion elicited by music. Findings showed that, when instructed to simply listen to threatening music, older adults reported a more positive feeling associated with a smaller SCL in comparison with their younger counterparts. When implementing positive and detached reappraisal, participants showed more positive and more aroused emotional experiences, whatever the age group. We also found that the instruction to intentionally reappraise negative emotions results in a lesser cognitive cost for older adults in comparison with younger adults. Taken together, these data suggest that, compared to younger adults, older adults engage in spontaneous downregulation of negative affect and successfully implement downregulation instructions. This extends previous findings and brings compelling evidence that, even when auditory attention cannot be redirected away from the emotional source, older adults are still more effective at regulating emotions. Taking into account the age-associated decline in executive functioning, our results suggest that the working memory task could have distracted older adults from the reminiscences of the threat-evoking music, thus resulting in an emotional downregulation. Hence, even if they were instructed to implement reappraisal strategies, older adults might prefer distraction over engagement in reappraisal. This is congruent with the idea that, although getting older, people are more likely to be distracted from a negative source of emotion to maintain their well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandrine Vieillard
- Unité DysCo, Fonctionnement et Dysfonctionnement Cognitifs: Les âges de la vie, Université Paris Nanterre, Nanterre, France
| | - Charlotte Pinabiaux
- Unité DysCo, Fonctionnement et Dysfonctionnement Cognitifs: Les âges de la vie, Université Paris Nanterre, Nanterre, France
| | - Emmanuel Bigand
- Unité LEAD, Laboratoire d'Etude de l'Apprentissages et du Développement, UMR CNRS 5022, Université Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
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Schweizer S, Stretton J, Van Belle J, Price D, Calder AJ, Dalgleish T. Age-related decline in positive emotional reactivity and emotion regulation in a population-derived cohort. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2019; 14:623-631. [PMID: 31119296 PMCID: PMC6688446 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsz036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Human older age ushers in functional decline across the majority of cognitive domains. A notable exception seems to be affective processing, with older people reporting higher levels of emotional well-being. Here we evaluated age-related changes in emotional reactivity and regulation in a representative subsample (N = 104; age range: 23-88 years) of the population-derived Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience cohort. Performance on a film-based emotion reactivity and regulation task in the magnetic resonance imaging scanner showed an age-related decline in positive reactivity, alongside a similar decline in the capacity to down-regulate negative affect. Decreased positivity with age was associated with reduced activation in the middle frontal gyrus. These findings, from the largest neuroimaging investigation to-date, provide no support for age-related increases in positive emotional reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Schweizer
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | - Jason Stretton
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
| | - Janna Van Belle
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
| | - Darren Price
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
| | - Andrew J Calder
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
| | | | - Tim Dalgleish
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, CB21 5EF, UK
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12
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Martins B, Sheppes G, Gross JJ, Mather M. Age Differences in Emotion Regulation Choice: Older Adults Use Distraction Less Than Younger Adults in High-Intensity Positive Contexts. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2019; 73:603-611. [PMID: 27013535 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbw028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Previous research demonstrates that younger and older adults prefer distraction over engagement (reappraisal) when regulating high-intensity negative emotion. Older adults also demonstrate a greater bias for positive over negative information in attention and memory compared with younger adults. In this study, we investigated whether emotion regulation choice preferences may differ as a function of stimulus valence with age. Method The effect of stimulus intensity on negative and positive emotion regulation strategy preferences was investigated in younger and older men. Participants indicated whether they favored distraction or reappraisal to attenuate emotional reactions to negative and positive images that varied in intensity. Results Men in both age-groups preferred distraction over reappraisal when regulating high-intensity emotion. As no age-related strategic differences were found in negative emotion regulation preferences, older men chose to distract less from high-intensity positive images than did younger men. Discussion Older men demonstrated greater engagement with highly positive emotional contexts than did younger men. Thus, age differences in emotion regulation goals when faced with intense emotional stimuli depend on the valence of the emotional stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Martins
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Gal Sheppes
- The School of Psychological Sciences/Child Clinical, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Mara Mather
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.,Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
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13
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Martins B, Florjanczyk J, Jackson NJ, Gatz M, Mather M. Age differences in emotion regulation effort: Pupil response distinguishes reappraisal and distraction for older but not younger adults. Psychol Aging 2019; 33:338-349. [PMID: 29658751 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In previous research, older adults show greater emotional benefits from distracting themselves than from reappraising an event when strategically regulating emotion. Older adults also demonstrate an attentional preference to avoid, while younger adults show a bias toward approaching negative stimuli. This suggests a possible age-related differentiation of cognitive effort across approach and avoidance of negative stimuli during emotion regulation. In this study, we tracked cognitive effort via pupil dilation during the use of distraction (avoidance) and reappraisal (approach) strategies across age. Forty-eight younger adults (M = 20.94, SD = 1.78; 19 men) and 48 older adults (M = 68.82, SD = 5.40; 15 men) viewed a slideshow of negative images and were instructed to distract, reappraise, or passively view each image. Older adults showed greater pupil dilation during reappraisal than distraction, but younger adults displayed no difference between conditions-an effect that survived when controlling for gaze patterns. Gaze findings revealed that older adults looked less within images during active emotion regulation compared with passive viewing (no difference between distraction and reappraisal), and younger adults showed no difference across strategies. Younger adults gazed less within the most emotional image areas during distraction, but this did not significantly contribute to pupil response. Our findings support that distraction is less cognitively effortful than reinterpreting negative information in later life. These findings could be explained by older adults' motivational bias to disengage from negative information because of the age-related positivity effect, or compensation for decreased working memory resources across the life span. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Martins
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Jan Florjanczyk
- Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Nicholas J Jackson
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Margaret Gatz
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Mara Mather
- Davis School of Gerontology and Department of Psychology, University of Southern California
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Allen VC, Windsor TD. Age differences in the use of emotion regulation strategies derived from the process model of emotion regulation: a systematic review. Aging Ment Health 2019; 23:1-14. [PMID: 29148830 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2017.1396575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This review examines differences in the use of emotion regulation (ER) strategies among younger and older adults. METHOD A systematic review using search terms related to ageing and ER identified 23 relevant studies. Narrative synthesis was adopted to analyse the findings. RESULTS Generally, greater use of situation selection and attentional deployment was identified among older adults, although these relationships were dependent on contextual/moderator variables. While older adults employed greater levels of situation modification in response to negative stimuli, there was considerable variation in age differences across specific situation modification subtypes. Available evidence pointed to an absence of age differences in the cognitive change strategy of cognitive reappraisal. The use of relatively less-cognitively demanding cognitive change subtypes (e.g. acceptance) was, under particular circumstances, greater among older adults. Findings regarding the response modulation strategy of expressive suppression were equivocal. CONCLUSION Adult development is not characterised by straightforward shifts in preferences for use of different ER strategies. Moderator variables appear to be of central importance in shaping the emergence of age differences in ER. Systematically examining interactions of age with individual difference variables and situational factors in samples including oldest-old adults will be important for advancing knowledge regarding developmental differences in ER.
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Affiliation(s)
- V C Allen
- a College of Education, Psychology and Social Work , Flinders University , Adelaide , Australia
| | - T D Windsor
- a College of Education, Psychology and Social Work , Flinders University , Adelaide , Australia
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15
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Helion C, Krueger SM, Ochsner KN. Emotion regulation across the life span. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2019; 163:257-280. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-804281-6.00014-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Brady B, Kneebone II, Denson N, Bailey PE. Systematic review and meta-analysis of age-related differences in instructed emotion regulation success. PeerJ 2018; 6:e6051. [PMID: 30588398 PMCID: PMC6302795 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The process model of emotion regulation (ER) is based on stages in the emotion generative process at which regulation may occur. This meta-analysis examines age-related differences in the subjective, behavioral, and physiological outcomes of instructed ER strategies that may be initiated after an emotional event has occurred; attentional deployment, cognitive change, and response modulation. Within-process strategy, stimulus type, and valence were also tested as potential moderators of the effect of age on ER. A systematic search of the literature identified 156 relevant comparisons from 11 studies. Few age-related differences were found. In our analysis of the subjective outcome of response modulation strategies, young adults used expressive enhancement successfully (g = 0.48), but not expressive suppression (g = 0.04). Response modulation strategies had a small positive effect among older adults, and enhancement vs suppression did not moderate this success (g = 0.31 and g = 0.10, respectively). Young adults effectively used response modulation to regulate subjective emotion in response to pictures (g = 0.41) but not films (g = 0.01). Older adults were able to regulate in response to both pictures (g = 0.26) and films (g = 0.11). Interestingly, both age groups effectively used detached reappraisal, but not positive reappraisal to regulate emotional behavior. We conclude that, in line with well-established theories of socioemotional aging, there is a lack of evidence for age differences in the effects of instructed ER strategies, with some moderators suggesting more consistent effectiveness for older compared to younger adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke Brady
- School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ian I Kneebone
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nida Denson
- School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Phoebe E Bailey
- School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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17
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Braunstein LM, Gross JJ, Ochsner KN. Explicit and implicit emotion regulation: a multi-level framework. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2018; 12:1545-1557. [PMID: 28981910 PMCID: PMC5647798 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsx096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to adaptively regulate emotion is essential for mental and physical well-being. How should we organize the myriad ways people attempt to regulate their emotions? We explore the utility of a framework that distinguishes among four fundamental classes of emotion regulation strategies. The framework describes each strategy class in terms their behavioral characteristics, underlying psychological processes and supporting neural systems. A key feature of this multi-level framework is its conceptualization of the psychological processes in terms of two orthogonal dimensions that describe (i) the nature of the emotion regulation goal (ranging from to implicit to explicit) and (ii) the nature of the emotion change process (ranging from more automatic to more controlled). After describing the core elements of the framework, we use it to review human and animal research on the neural bases of emotion regulation and to suggest key directions for future research on emotion regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James J Gross
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kevin N Ochsner
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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18
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Eldesouky L, English T. Another year older, another year wiser? Emotion regulation strategy selection and flexibility across adulthood. Psychol Aging 2018; 33:572-585. [PMID: 29745687 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Several influential theories posit that improvements in emotion regulation contribute to enhanced emotional well-being in older adulthood. However, surprisingly little is known about whether there are age differences in emotion regulation strategy use. We addressed this question by testing whether older adults report using typically adaptive strategies more often and regulate more flexibly than relatively younger adults. In a two-part study, 136 married couples (N = 272) aged 23-85 years completed individual difference measures of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression, and then nine daily reports of a broader range of emotion regulation strategies, now including situation selection, situation modification, and distraction. Older adults reported greater habitual use of suppression, but age did not predict situation selection, situation modification, distraction, or reappraisal. In terms of emotion regulation flexibility, a similar number of strategies were reported on a daily basis regardless of the regulator's age. Unexpectedly, relatively older adults were less variable in their self-reported daily use of each strategy and middle-aged adults were the least variable in their strategy repertoire across different days. These findings counter the common notion that older adults use typically adaptive strategies more than younger adults. Instead, they suggest older adults may be more consistent in their emotion regulation patterns across situations, potentially suggestive of less flexibility. Implications for aging, emotion regulation, and well-being are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Lameese Eldesouky
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis
| | - Tammy English
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis
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19
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Suh S, Schneider M, Lee R, Joiner T. Perceived Interpersonal Burdensomeness as a Mediator between Nightmare Distress and Suicidal Ideation in Nightmare Sufferers. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1805. [PMID: 27917142 PMCID: PMC5114297 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have supported the significant association between nightmares and suicidal ideation, but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. The purpose of the present study was to investigate perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness as mediators in the relationship between nightmare distress and suicidal ideation. This sample consisted of 301 undergraduate students who endorsed experiencing nightmares (mean age 21.87 ± 2.17, 78.1% female). All participants completed questionnaires on nightmare distress (Nightmare Distress Questionnaire), unmet interpersonal needs (Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire), and suicidal ideation (Depressive Symptom Inventory – Suicidality Subscale). Analyses were performed using multiple mediation regression. Results indicated that nightmare distress was associated with perceived burdensomeness (r = 0.17, p < 0.001) and suicidal ideation (r = 0.24, p < 0.001), but was not related to thwarted belongingness (r = 0.10, p = 0.06). Multiple mediation analyses revealed that perceived burdensomeness partially mediated the relationship between nightmares and suicidal ideation, but thwarted belongingness did not. Additionally, this mediating relationship for perceived burdensomeness was moderated by gender, being significant only for females. These findings highlight the important role of interpersonal factors in the relationship between nightmares and suicidal ideation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sooyeon Suh
- Department of Psychology, Sungshin Women's UniversitySeoul, South Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Stanford UniversityPalo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Matthew Schneider
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Ruda Lee
- Department of Psychology, Sungshin Women's University Seoul, South Korea
| | - Thomas Joiner
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University Tallahassee, FL, USA
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20
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Haladjian HH, Montemayor C. Artificial consciousness and the consciousness-attention dissociation. Conscious Cogn 2016; 45:210-225. [PMID: 27656787 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2016.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Artificial Intelligence is at a turning point, with a substantial increase in projects aiming to implement sophisticated forms of human intelligence in machines. This research attempts to model specific forms of intelligence through brute-force search heuristics and also reproduce features of human perception and cognition, including emotions. Such goals have implications for artificial consciousness, with some arguing that it will be achievable once we overcome short-term engineering challenges. We believe, however, that phenomenal consciousness cannot be implemented in machines. This becomes clear when considering emotions and examining the dissociation between consciousness and attention in humans. While we may be able to program ethical behavior based on rules and machine learning, we will never be able to reproduce emotions or empathy by programming such control systems-these will be merely simulations. Arguments in favor of this claim include considerations about evolution, the neuropsychological aspects of emotions, and the dissociation between attention and consciousness found in humans. Ultimately, we are far from achieving artificial consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Haroutioun Haladjian
- Laboratoire Psychologie de la Perception, CNRS (UMR 8242), Université Paris Descartes, Centre Biomédical des Saints-Pères, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75006 Paris, France.
| | - Carlos Montemayor
- San Francisco State University, Philosophy Department, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132 USA.
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21
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Doré BP, Silvers JA, Ochsner KN. Toward a Personalized Science of Emotion Regulation. SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY COMPASS 2016; 10:171-187. [PMID: 29750085 PMCID: PMC5939931 DOI: 10.1111/spc3.12240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The ability to successfully regulate emotion plays a key role in healthy development and the maintenance of psychological well-being. Although great strides have been made in understanding the nature of regulatory processes and the consequences of deploying them, a comprehensive understanding of emotion regulation that can specify what strategies are most beneficial for a given person in a given situation is still a far-off goal. In this review, we argue that moving toward this goal represents a central challenge for the future of the field. As an initial step, we propose a concrete framework that (i) explicitly considers emotion regulation as an interaction of person, situation, and strategy, (ii) assumes that regulatory effects vary according to these factors, and (iii) sets as a primary scientific goal the identification of person-, situation-, and strategy-based contingencies for successful emotion regulation. Guided by this framework, we review current questions facing the field, discuss examples of contextual variation in emotion regulation success, and offer practical suggestions for continued progress in this area.
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22
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Garofalo C, Velotti P, Zavattini GC. Emotion dysregulation and hypersexuality: review and clinical implications. SEXUAL AND RELATIONSHIP THERAPY 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/14681994.2015.1062855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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23
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Martins B, Ponzio A, Velasco R, Kaplan J, Mather M. Dedifferentiation of emotion regulation strategies in the aging brain. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2014; 10:840-7. [PMID: 25380765 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsu129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Accepted: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Different emotion regulation strategies are distinctly represented in the brains of younger adults. Decreasing a reaction to a negative situation by reinterpreting it (reappraisal) relies on cognitive control regions in the prefrontal cortex, while distracting away from a stressor involves more posterior medial structures. In this study, we used Multi-Voxel pattern analyses (MVPA) to examine whether reappraisal and distraction strategies have distinct representations in the older adult brain, or whether emotion regulation strategies become more dedifferentiated in later life. MVPA better differentiated the two emotion regulation strategies for younger adults than for older adults, and revealed the greatest age-related differences in differentiation in the posterior medial cortex (PMC). Univariate analyses revealed equal PMC recruitment across strategies for older adults, but greater activity during distraction than reappraisal for younger adults. The PMC is central to self-focused processing, and thus our findings are consistent with the possibility that focusing on the self may be a default mechanism across emotion regulation strategies for older people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Martins
- Department of Psychology and Department of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA
| | - Allison Ponzio
- Department of Psychology and Department of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA
| | - Ricardo Velasco
- Department of Psychology and Department of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA
| | - Jonas Kaplan
- Department of Psychology and Department of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA
| | - Mara Mather
- Department of Psychology and Department of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA Department of Psychology and Department of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA
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Curtis J, Burkley E, Burkley M. The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You: The Influence of Circadian Rhythm Synchrony on Self-Control Outcomes. SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY COMPASS 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/spc3.12136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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Allard ES, Kensinger EA. Age-related differences in functional connectivity during cognitive emotion regulation. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2014; 69:852-60. [PMID: 25209373 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbu108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Successful emotion regulation partly depends on our capacity to modulate emotional responses through the use of cognitive strategies. Age may affect the strategies employed most often; thus, we examined younger and older adults' neural network connectivity when employing two different strategies: cognitive reappraisal and selective attention. METHOD The current study used psychophysiological interaction analyses to examine functional connectivity with a region of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) because it is a core part of an emotion regulation network showing relative structural preservation with age. RESULTS Functional connectivity between ACC and prefrontal cortex (PFC) was greater for reappraisal relative to selective attention and passive viewing conditions for both age groups. For younger adults, ACC was more strongly connected with lateral dorsolateral PFC, ventrolateral PFC, dorsomedial PFC, and posterior cingulate regions during reappraisal. For older adults, stronger connectivity during reappraisal was observed primarily in ventromedial PFC and orbitofrontal cortex. DISCUSSION Our results suggest that although young and older adults engage PFC networks during regulation, and particularly during reappraisal, the regions within these networks might differ. Additionally, these results clarify that, despite prior evidence for age-related declines in the structure and function of those regions, older adults are able to recruit ACC and PFC regions as part of coherent network during emotion regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S Allard
- Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
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26
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Smoski MJ, LaBar KS, Steffens DC. Relative effectiveness of reappraisal and distraction in regulating emotion in late-life depression. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2014; 22:898-907. [PMID: 24021222 PMCID: PMC3949222 DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2013.01.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2012] [Revised: 01/18/2013] [Accepted: 01/22/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The present study compares the effectiveness of two strategies, reappraisal and distraction, in reducing negative affect in older adults induced by focusing on personally relevant negative events and stressors. PARTICIPANTS 30 adults with major depressive disorger (MDD) and 40 never-depressed (ND) comparison participants ages 60 years and over (mean age = 69.7 years). DESIGN AND MEASUREMENTS Participants underwent three affect induction trials, each followed by a different emotion regulation strategy: distraction, reappraisal, and a no-instruction control condition. Self-reported affect was recorded pre- and post-affect induction, and at one-minute intervals during regulation. RESULTS Across groups, participants reported greater reductions in negative affect with distraction than reappraisal or the no-instruction control condition. An interaction between group and regulation condition indicated that distraction was more effective in reducing negative affect in the MDD group than the ND group. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that distraction is an especially effective strategy for reducing negative affect in older adults with MDD. Finding ways to incorporate distraction skills into psychotherapeutic interventions for late-life MDD may improve their effectiveness, especially for short-term improvement of affect following rumination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moria J. Smoski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC 27710
| | - Kevin S. LaBar
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham NC 27710
| | - David C. Steffens
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC 27710
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Allard ES, Kensinger EA. Age-related differences in neural recruitment during the use of cognitive reappraisal and selective attention as emotion regulation strategies. Front Psychol 2014; 5:296. [PMID: 24782800 PMCID: PMC3989764 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2013] [Accepted: 03/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study examined age differences in the timing and neural recruitment within lateral and medial PFC while younger and older adults hedonically regulated their responses to unpleasant film clips. When analyses focused on activity during the emotional peak of the film clip (the most emotionally salient portion of the film), several age differences emerged. When comparing regulation to passive viewing (combined effects of selective attention and reappraisal) younger adults showed greater regulation related activity in lateral PFC (DLPFC, VLPFC, OFC) and medial PFC (ACC) while older adults showed greater activation within a region DLPFC. When assessing distinct effects of the regulation conditions, an ANOVA revealed a significant Age × Regulation Condition interaction within bilateral DLPFC and ACC; older adults but not young adults showed greater recruitment within these regions for reappraisal than selective attention. When examining activity at the onset of the film clip and at its emotional peak, the timing of reappraisal-related activity within VLPFC differed between age groups: younger adults showed greater activity at film onset while older adults showed heightened activity during the peak. Our results suggest that older adults rely more heavily on PFC recruitment when engaging cognitively demanding reappraisal strategies while PFC-mediated regulation might not be as task-specific for younger adults. Older adults' greater reliance on cognitive control processing during emotion regulation may also be reflected in the time needed to implement these strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S Allard
- Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Kensinger
- Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
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Chen KH, Anderson SW, Rusch ML, Aksan NS, Dawson JD, Rizzo M. "CHOKING UNDER PRESSURE" IN OLDER DRIVERS. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ... INTERNATIONAL DRIVING SYMPOSIUM ON HUMAN FACTORS IN DRIVER ASSESSMENT, TRAINING, AND VEHICLE DESIGN 2013; 2013:432-438. [PMID: 27135060 PMCID: PMC4850492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Aging can impair executive control and emotion regulation, affecting driver decision-making and behavior, especially under stress. We used an interactive driving simulator to investigate ability to make safe left-turns across oncoming traffic under pressure in 13 older (> 65 years old) and 16 middle-aged (35-56 years old) drivers. Drivers made left-turns at an uncontrolled intersection with moderately heavy oncoming traffic. Gaps between oncoming vehicles varied and increased gradually from 2 s to 10 s. Drivers made two left-turns with a vehicle honking aggressively behind (pressure condition), and two left-turns without the honking vehicle (control condition). Results showed that middle-aged drivers made more cautious turning decisions under pressure (by waiting for larger and safer gaps, p < .001), but older drivers did not. Further, older driver turning paths deviated under pressure compared to the control condition (p < .05), but the middle-aged group did not. Moreover, across all subjects, better executive function was significantly correlated with larger increases of accepted gap size from control to honking (p < .01). The findings suggest that older drivers are more sensitive to traffic challenges from environmental pressure and that neural models of older driver performance and safety must factor in age-related changes in executive control and emotion processing.
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Ochsner KN, Silvers JA, Buhle JT. Functional imaging studies of emotion regulation: a synthetic review and evolving model of the cognitive control of emotion. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2012; 1251:E1-24. [PMID: 23025352 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2012.06751.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1181] [Impact Index Per Article: 98.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
This paper reviews and synthesizes functional imaging research that over the past decade has begun to offer new insights into the brain mechanisms underlying emotion regulation. Toward that end, the first section of the paper outlines a model of the processes and neural systems involved in emotion generation and regulation. The second section surveys recent research supporting and elaborating the model, focusing primarily on studies of the most commonly investigated strategy, which is known as reappraisal. At its core, the model specifies how prefrontal and cingulate control systems modulate activity in perceptual, semantic, and affect systems as a function of one's regulatory goals, tactics, and the nature of the stimuli and emotions being regulated. This section also shows how the model can be generalized to understand the brain mechanisms underlying other emotion regulation strategies as well as a range of other allied phenomena. The third and last section considers directions for future research, including how basic models of emotion regulation can be translated to understand changes in emotion across the life span and in clinical disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin N Ochsner
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA.
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