Self-reassurance reduces neural and self-report reactivity to negative life events
Abstract
Background
Whilst research has shown how self-criticism may increase both neural and self-report markers of negative emotion, less well known is how self-reassurance - a compassionately-motivated cognitive self-relating style - may regulate negative emotion.
Method
Using fMRI, we invited participants to engage in self-criticism and self-reassurance toward written descriptions of negative life events (mistakes, setbacks, failures).
Results
Our results identify that neural markers of negative emotion and self-report markers of trial intensity during fMRI are suppressed under conditions of self-reassurance, relative to self-criticism.
Limitations
Future work to control for autobiographical memory during this fMRI task is needed, to explore how memory can contribute to self-reassurance and self-criticism.
Conclusions
Engagement in self-reassurance can reduce the ‘sting’ of negative life-events, both neural and self-report, which holds important implications for therapy.
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