Abstract
The present study examined the influence of cognitive reappraisal on the duration of a negative emotional experience and corresponding cardiovascular responses after a speech task. In addition, we compared negative emotional responses that were elicited during the initial task performance and a repetition of the same task, in order to examine the role of cognitive reappraisal on emotional responses in a repeated task. Before the first task, participants were instructed that their performance would be evaluated, and that they would be questioned if they failed to achieve a standard level of performance. To manipulate cognitive reappraisal, participants were randomly given false feedback about their performance, and arbitrarily assigned to a “success,” or a “failure” group after completing the first task. Both groups were then monitored during the post task period, after they were given the feedback. Participants were then instructed to perform a similar speech task, and prepared for the second task in the same way as they did for the first. Results showed that in the post-task period, the “success” group had a less negative emotional experience, and a rapid blood pressure recovery through a greater decline in total peripheral resistance, in comparison to the “failure” group. In addition, only the “success” group exhibited decreased systolic blood pressure reactivity during the task repetition. These results suggest that cognitive reappraisal plays an important role in psychological and physiological well-being.
