Individual differences in self-reported self-control predict successful emotion regulation

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Lena M. Paschke - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin (Author)
  • Denise Dörfel - , Chair of Work and Organizational Psychology, Chair of Differential and Personality Psychology (Author)
  • Rosa Steimke - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin (Author)
  • Ima Trempler - , University of Münster (Author)
  • Amadeus Magrabi - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin, Free University of Berlin (Author)
  • Vera U. Ludwig - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin (Author)
  • Torsten Schubert - , Humboldt University of Berlin (Author)
  • Christine Stelzel - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin, International Psychoanalytic University Berlin (Author)
  • Henrik Walter - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin (Author)

Abstract

Both self-control and emotion regulation enable individuals to adapt to external circumstances and social contexts, and both are assumed to rely on the overlapping neural resources. Here, we tested whether high self-reported self-control is related to successful emotion regulation on the behavioral and neural level. One hundred eight participants completed three self-control questionnaires and regulated their negative emotions during functional magnetic resonance imaging using reappraisal (distancing). Trait self-control correlated positively with successful emotion regulation both subjectively and neurally, as indicated by online ratings of negative emotions and functional connectivity strength between the amygdala and prefrontal areas, respectively. This stronger overall connectivity of the left amygdala was related to more successful subjective emotion regulation. Comparing amygdala activity over time showed that high self-controllers successfully maintained down-regulation of the left amygdala over time, while low self-controllers failed to down-regulate towards the end of the experiment. This indicates that high self-controllers are better at maintaining a motivated state supporting emotion regulation over time. Our results support assumptions concerning a close relation of self-control and emotion regulation as two domains of behavioral control. They further indicate that individual differences in functional connectivity between task-related brain areas directly relate to differences in trait self-control.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1193-1204
Number of pages12
JournalSocial Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
Volume11
Issue number8
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2016
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 84989238597
PubMed 27013102
ORCID /0000-0002-5632-419X/work/142246591

Keywords

Research priority areas of TU Dresden

DFG Classification of Subject Areas according to Review Boards

Subject groups, research areas, subject areas according to Destatis

Keywords

  • Amygdala, fMRI, Functional connectivity, Reappraisal, Self-regulation