Self- and Other-Reports in Evaluating Emotion Regulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Potential of Physiological Indices

Abstract

This narrative review examines emotion regulation (ER) in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), focusing on the methodological challenges of self- and other-report assessments and the potential contributions of physiological indices. Previous studies using self-reports consistently indicate that cognitive reappraisal is associated with adaptive outcomes, whereas findings regarding suppression remain mixed. Similarly, other-reports show comparable tendencies, which reflect their limited ability to capture internal emotional processes accurately. In contrast, physiological measures, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), skin conductance, and heart rate variability (HRV), offer objective insights into the neural and autonomic mechanisms underlying ER. Integrating physiological indices with behavioral and report-based measures could enable a more comprehensive assessment of ER. Future research should further explore these multimodal approaches and their applicability as clinical and educational tools for individuals with ASD.