Previously reappraised: the lasting effect of description type on picture-elicited electrocortical activity. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • To examine whether reappraisal modifies responses to subsequent encounters with stimuli, participants viewed neutral and unpleasant pictures that were preceded by negative or neutral descriptions which served as reappraisal frames. A half an hour later, the same pictures were presented, without preceding frames; EEG was recorded and participants rated each picture on arousal and valence. In line with previous work, unpleasant compared to neutral pictures elicited more positive early- (359ms), mid- (1074ms) and late-latency (2436ms) centrally-distributed ERP components. Pictures previously preceded by negative compared to neutral reappraisal frames were rated as more unpleasant and more emotionally arousing; these pictures elicited a larger mid-latency (1074ms) occipital positivity. Together, the data suggest that reappraisal exerts an enduring effect on both subjective and neural responses to stimuli.

published proceedings

  • Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci

author list (cited authors)

  • Macnamara, A., Ochsner, K. N., & Hajcak, G.

citation count

  • 95

complete list of authors

  • Macnamara, Annmarie||Ochsner, Kevin N||Hajcak, Greg

publication date

  • June 2011