Emotions on our mind: cognitive appraisal and its contribution to verbal emotion processing and emotion regulation

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Every statement we make, whether it is spoken or written, receives its meaning from its evaluation by the recipient of the message. Appraisal theories of emotion suggest that the way people appraise, that is, how they evaluate and interpret the meaning of emotional stimuli with regard to their personal relevance modulates the strength and nature of their emotional reactions. The current project intends to shed light on the temporal dynamics underlying appraisal related changes in verbal emotion processing and emotion regulation. A series of three experimental, coordinated studies will be conducted in which appraisal- and reappraisal-related changes in the processing of emotionally challenging words as well as experimental variations in stimulus-relevance will be investigated with central- (EEG-ERP) and peripheral-physiological measures (startle reflex), together with behavioural and self-report measures of emotion and emotion-regulation.