The Effect Of Different Emotion Regulation Strategies On Attention Bias Under The Initiation Of Negative Emotions

Effective emotion regulation strategies are very important to individual's physical and mental health, when we encounter the negative event. Based on Gross's theory of emotion regulation strategies (Reappraisal, Rumination, Expressive suppression and Expressive revealing),the paper focuses on the influences the four different strategies as to attentional bias. The aim is to find the best strategy to deal with negative events and negative emotions. The study consists of two experiments, the first one use different strategies to deal with the negative emotions induced by a short film. Under this condition, the next experiment is to investigate the differences among the different groups by dot-probe paradigm.From the two experiment, we conclude as follows:1. The subjects are successfully induced negative emotions and reduced positive emotions by the short film.2. Different emotion regulation strategies work differently on different emotion, especially on happiness, anger and sadness.3. Different emotion regulation strategies work very differently on individual's emotion. Reappraisal can remain individual's happiness, and reduce anger. Expression suppression can significantly reduce sadness.4. The order of the attentional bias from strongest to weakest is rumination, expressive revealing expressive suppression and reappraisal, under the negative priming.5. There are significant differences among different groups. Reappraisal and rumination can decrease attentional bias. Besides, expressive suppression and expressive revealing can increase attentional bias.6. The joint action of the different emotion and cognitive resources results to the different attentional bias.In summary, from the perspective of feelings and attentional bias, the most effective emotion regulation strategies is reappraisal, followed by expressive suppression, the third is expressive revealing, the most useless one is.