Gender differences in emotion regulation: An fMRI study of cognitive reappraisal
Gender differences in emotion regulation: An fMRI study of cognitive reappraisal
复制标题
DOI：
10.1177/1368430207088035
复制
发表时间：
2008-04-01
影响因子：
4.4
通讯作者：
Gross, James J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
McRae, Kateri;Ochsner, Kevin N.;Gross, James J.
尽管强烈的流行观念的性别差异的情绪和显着的性别差异的患病率被认为涉及情绪失调，情绪调节的神经基础的文献几乎是沉默的性别差异（格罗斯，2007; Ochsner & Gross，在出版）。本研究的目的是解决文献中的这一差距。使用功能性磁共振成像，我们要求男性和女性参与者使用认知情绪调节策略（重新评价）来下调他们对负价图片的情绪反应。从行为上看，男性和女性的负面情绪体验都有相当的下降。然而，在神经学上，性别差异出现了。与女性相比，男性表现出：（a）与重新评价相关的前额叶区域增加较少;（B）与情绪反应相关的杏仁核减少较多;（c）与奖励处理相关的腹侧纹状体区域参与较少。我们认为这些差异的两个非竞争性的解释。首先，男性在使用认知调节时可能花费较少的努力，这可能是由于更多地使用自动情绪调节。其次，女性可能会在更大程度上利用积极情绪来重新评估消极情绪。然后，我们认为，在情绪调节的性别差异的影响，了解一般的情绪处理的性别差异，和情感障碍的性别差异。
Despite strong popular conceptions of gender differences in emotionality and striking gender differences in the prevalence of disorders thought to involve emotion dysregulation, the literature on the neural bases of emotion regulation is nearly silent regarding gender differences (Gross, 2007; Ochsner & Gross, in press). The purpose of the present study was to address this gap in the literature. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we asked male and female participants to use a cognitive emotion regulation strategy (reappraisal) to down-regulate their emotional responses to negatively valenced pictures. Behaviorally, men and women evidenced comparable decreases in negative emotion experience. Neurally, however, gender differences emerged. Compared with women, men showed (a) lesser increases in prefrontal regions that are associated with reappraisal, (b) greater decreases in the amygdala, which is associated with emotional responding, and (c) lesser engagement of ventral striatal regions, which are associated with reward processing. We consider two non-competing explanations for these differences. First, men may expend less effort when using cognitive regulation, perhaps due to greater use of automatic emotion regulation. Second, women may use positive emotions in the service of reappraising negative emotions to a greater degree. We then consider the implications of gender differences in emotion regulation for understanding gender differences in emotional processing in general, and gender differences in affective disorders.