An Analysis Of The Cognitive Ability Of Self-Regulation
...Fred D.Winter & Charity N. Dugas
Southwestern University
Abstract
Utilizing the cognitive process of self-regulation, humans can handle negative emotions through the mental process of reappraisal. New research conducted by Oschner (2001) using an fMRI scan, indicate that there is significant brain activity in the prefrontal cortex during reappraisal. Utilizing these findings as an indicator of reappraisal, this study will examine if emotional reappraisal can be learned. Experimenters will elicit an emotional response from the participants by showing them two horrific scenes, and then measuring the type of emotional regulation observed, through the fMRI and a survey. It is hypothesized that those participants who have experienced a singular traumatizing event in recent memory will reappraise more than those who have not. This study is important for research because it examines the possibility of a learned emotional response.
Humans stand apart from animals in that they can actively regulate their cognitive processes in a manner that can inhibit certain emotions. For instance, humans have the important ability to selectively inhibit their aggressive, sexual, and socially un-acceptable behavior. Bjorklund and Harnishleger (1995) explain in a review that human inhibition has played a central role in the evolution of the changing human mind for it has allowed for greater social cohesion and harmony. Instead of succumbing to primal impulses, humans can hold themselves back and in turn, self-regulate.
Self-regulation of the mind can take several forms, yet an important facet of self-regulation is that humans have the ability to change the way we feel about specific situations. Being emotional beings, having the ability to hold sway over where our emotions lead us is important for both our mental and physical health. For instance, to use a physical...
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