Decoding Affective Control: Unraveling the Psychological Mechanisms of Emotion Regulation for Mental Health
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Mental illness takes many forms, but targeting key risk factors that span multiple disorders can lead to highly effective treatment and prevention strategies. One such factor is emotion regulation—the ability to manage emotional experiences. Deficits in emotion regulation are linked to a wide range of mental health conditions, including depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety. By focusing on improving emotion regulation in at-risk individuals, we can prevent the onset of these disorders.
Key Research Questions:
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Why are some people better at regulating their emotions than others? In this project, we aim to uncover the individual differences and contextual factors that influence neural processing during emotion regulation.
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Which psychological processes contribute to effective emotion regulation? We will take a mechanistic approach to identify the psychological processes that make emotion regulation more effective, helping us pinpoint targets for intervention and training.
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Can we predict which emotion regulation strategies individuals will use in daily life? By identifying neuronal markers, we will develop a predictive model of ER strategy selection, providing insights into how emotions are regulated in real-world situations.
To achieve these goals, we will employ cutting-edge, non-invasive brain imaging techniques combined with advanced multivariate pattern analysis and connectivity methods. We will link the neural mechanisms of emotion regulation with real-life experiences using smartphone-based ecological momentary assessments, capturing within-day changes in emotional experiences and regulation strategies. This innovative approach bridges the gap between lab-based studies and real-world instances of emotion regulation, creating a comprehensive model with greater ecological validity.
By understanding the factors that determine the success or failure of emotion regulation in everyday life, this project will inform the development of neuronally-informed training programs that enhance well-being, resilience, and emotional coping.