The Physiological And Psychological Effects Of Emotion Regulation On The Body Under The Condition Of Stress

Objectives This study intended to use Trier Social Stress Test as experimental paradigm to evoke stress of the subjects. Through this study, we explored the effect of emotion regulation strategies — cognitive reappraisal and expression suppression on anxiety,salivary cortisol and heart rate. we also provided data support for the regulation and intervention of psychological stress.Methods:Ninety undergraduates were screened and recruited to attend the Trier Social Stress Test. Inclusion criteria:(1) there is no clear symptoms of depression(Beck Depression Inventory score less than or equal to 4);(2) there is no significant stress events( the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Check List score moderately and below);(3) female participations’ physiological period taking part in the experiment must be in the early follicular phase, in case to exclude the menstrual cycle hormonal changes of salivary cortisol. Exclusion criteria: cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, all kinds of chronic diseases, infectious diseases, cancer, tumor, immune and metabolic diseases,endocrine diseases and other serious body disease;(2) suffers from a mental disease or mental obstacle, etc.(3) smoking, using recreational drugs regularly, taking birth control pills. The subjects were matched with three groups randomly according to age and sex:the cognitive reappraisal group, the expression suppression group and the control group.Each group included 30 people. Using 3×4 mixed experimental design, the betweensubjects variable was group, and the within-subjects variable was different experimental stage(Time 1:baseline, Time 2:stress after 0 minutes, Time 3:stress after15 minutes. Time 4:stress after 30 minutes). And the dependent variables were designed to state anxiety score, the heart rate, and cortisol level. All data were processed using spss21.0 and excel statistical software. The main statistical methods were t test and analysis of variance.Results:Before and after stress experiment, the state-anxiety inventory(S-AI) score of threegroups of subjects had differences significantly(F=6.469, P < 0.01). Scheffe method for post hoc test showed the S-AI score of the cognitive reappraisal group had significantly lower than the expression suppression group(P = 0.04) and the control group(P =0.004), while the expression suppression group and control group hadn’t significant difference(P = 0.687).In T2 stage, the HR of three groups showed significantly differences(F=8.49, P <0.01) and post hoc test showed that the HR of the cognitive reappraisal group(2.27 +3.61) had significantly lower than the expression suppression group(6.49 + 4.12) and the control group(95.62 + 4.75). At T1, T3, T4 stages, the HR of the three groups had no significantly differences.The cortisol level of three group reached the peak in 15 minutes(Time 3 stage)after the completion of the Trier Social Stress Test. In Time 2 and 3 stages, the cortisol level of the cognitive reappraisal group was significantly lower than the expression suppression group and the control group. But in T1 and T4 stages, the cortisol level had no significant differences in three groups.Conclusions:Cognitive reappraisal can reduce the anxiety, and the expression suppression has no effect on reducing the anxiety of the subjects.Cognitive reappraisal can reduce the heart rate and cortisol level after the TSST. It is effective to control the ANS and HPA axis system. The expression suppression has no effect on the heart rate and cortisol level after the TSST.Cognitive reappraisal can be an effective and easy way to relieve stress, and it can be popularized in the public.