Differential Effects of Self- and Situation-Focused Reappraisal

In the present research, we investigated the effects of self- and situation-focused reappraisal, which are 2 distinct types of cognitive reappraisal, on emotion experiences, memory, and electrocortical responses to unpleasant pictures. In Study 1, situation-focused reappraisal was found to improve recall accuracy, whereas self-focused reappraisal had no effect. Both strategy types were associated with reductions in self-reported negative emotion, with larger reductions during situation-focused reappraisal. In Study 2, event-related potentials (ERPs) were measured while participants engaged in the 2 strategy types. Situation-focused, but not self-focused, reappraisal was associated with reductions in the late positive potential, an ERP that reflects facilitated attention to emotional stimuli. Taken together, these findings suggest that reappraisal is not a homogenous regulation strategy; on the contrary, subtypes of reappraisal elicit distinct consequence profiles.