The Use Of Emotional Nouns To Label Whether Or Not To Inhibit Emotions: Evidence From ERPs

Affect labeling refers to the emotional character of an individuals who use the emotional words to name the self or the stimulus,which is the simplest form of putting feeling into words.Disruption theory considers that the reflection of emotions will inhibit the implicit or automated emotional response,and thus shows the suppression of emotions.It emphasizes that the emotional words which could cause people to reflect in the processes of emotion can suppress emotion,on the contrary,can not suppress emotion.The use of emotional terms(such as spiders,flowers)can not directly lead to people’s emotional reflection compared to the use of emotional adjectives(such as anger,happy).according to the theory,it deduces that the use of emotional nouns be used to label can not suppress emotions.As based on the previous researches which related to affect labeling,the study is conducted to examine the use of emotional nouns to mark on the positive and negative emotion.The purpose of the research is:(1)to explore whether it has an impact on emotion to mark by using emotional nouns.(2)to research the dynamic processes of the effect on emotion by using emotional nouns.The research uses the classic affect labeling paradigm,combining event-related potential technique with high precision,to discuss the emotional brain-wave amplitude in the affect labeling process among college students using emotional nouns and reveal the conclusion whether it suppress emotions or not by using emotional nouns.Materials of the research are selected from the international affective picture system(IAPS)and emotional material affective picture system(CAPS).All of the subjects in the research are 15 college students.The research uses 2(emotions: positive,negative)X2(labeling types: affect labeling,non-affect labeling)design inner subjects.within the subjects of design,record the behavior data of subjects and LPP amplitude which is presenting by emotional pictures,as well as LPP amplitude which is after naming.The research finds out that LPP amplitude of affect labeling is higher than LPP amplitude of non-affect labeling whether he’s stimulated by positive picture or negative picture.To conclude,affect labeling enhance emotion no matter it is positive or not,and the process to enhance is occurred after naming.