Emotion regulation through execution, observation, and imagery of emotional movements

Tal Shafir; Stephan F. Taylor; Anthony P. Atkinson; Scott A. Langenecker; Jon Kar Zubieta

doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2013.03.001

Emotion regulation through execution, observation, and imagery of emotional movements

Tal Shafir, Stephan F. Taylor, Anthony P. Atkinson, Scott A. Langenecker, Jon Kar Zubieta

Emili Sagol Creative Arts Therapies Research Center

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

According to Damasio's somatic marker hypothesis, emotions are generated by conveying the current state of the body to the brain through interoceptive and proprioceptive afferent input. The resulting brain activation patterns represent unconscious emotions and correlate with subjective feelings. This proposition implies a corollary that the deliberate control of motor behavior could regulate feelings. We tested this possibility, hypothesizing that engaging in movements associated with a certain emotion would enhance that emotion and/or the corresponding valence. Furthermore, because motor imagery and observation are thought to activate the same mirror-neuron network engaged during motor execution, they might also activate the same emotional processing circuits, leading to similar emotional effects. Therefore, we measured the effects of motor execution, motor imagery and observation of whole-body dynamic expressions of emotions (happiness, sadness, fear) on affective state. All three tasks enhanced the corresponding affective state, indicating their potential to regulate emotions.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	219-227
Number of pages	9
Journal	Brain and Cognition
Volume	82
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2013.03.001
State	Published - Jul 2013

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Phil F. Jenkins Foundation and Grant UL1RR024986 from the National Center for Research Resources. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center for Research Resources or the National Institutes of Health.

Keywords

Body expression of emotion
Embodiment
Emotion regulation
Motor imagery
Nonverbal behavior
Simulation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Developmental and Educational Psychology
Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
Cognitive Neuroscience

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10.1016/j.bandc.2013.03.001

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title = "Emotion regulation through execution, observation, and imagery of emotional movements",

abstract = "According to Damasio's somatic marker hypothesis, emotions are generated by conveying the current state of the body to the brain through interoceptive and proprioceptive afferent input. The resulting brain activation patterns represent unconscious emotions and correlate with subjective feelings. This proposition implies a corollary that the deliberate control of motor behavior could regulate feelings. We tested this possibility, hypothesizing that engaging in movements associated with a certain emotion would enhance that emotion and/or the corresponding valence. Furthermore, because motor imagery and observation are thought to activate the same mirror-neuron network engaged during motor execution, they might also activate the same emotional processing circuits, leading to similar emotional effects. Therefore, we measured the effects of motor execution, motor imagery and observation of whole-body dynamic expressions of emotions (happiness, sadness, fear) on affective state. All three tasks enhanced the corresponding affective state, indicating their potential to regulate emotions.",

keywords = "Body expression of emotion, Embodiment, Emotion regulation, Motor imagery, Nonverbal behavior, Simulation",

author = "Tal Shafir and Taylor, {Stephan F.} and Atkinson, {Anthony P.} and Langenecker, {Scott A.} and Zubieta, {Jon Kar}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the Phil F. Jenkins Foundation and Grant UL1RR024986 from the National Center for Research Resources. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center for Research Resources or the National Institutes of Health. ",

year = "2013",

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AU - Taylor, Stephan F.

AU - Atkinson, Anthony P.

AU - Langenecker, Scott A.

AU - Zubieta, Jon Kar

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the Phil F. Jenkins Foundation and Grant UL1RR024986 from the National Center for Research Resources. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center for Research Resources or the National Institutes of Health.

PY - 2013/7

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N2 - According to Damasio's somatic marker hypothesis, emotions are generated by conveying the current state of the body to the brain through interoceptive and proprioceptive afferent input. The resulting brain activation patterns represent unconscious emotions and correlate with subjective feelings. This proposition implies a corollary that the deliberate control of motor behavior could regulate feelings. We tested this possibility, hypothesizing that engaging in movements associated with a certain emotion would enhance that emotion and/or the corresponding valence. Furthermore, because motor imagery and observation are thought to activate the same mirror-neuron network engaged during motor execution, they might also activate the same emotional processing circuits, leading to similar emotional effects. Therefore, we measured the effects of motor execution, motor imagery and observation of whole-body dynamic expressions of emotions (happiness, sadness, fear) on affective state. All three tasks enhanced the corresponding affective state, indicating their potential to regulate emotions.

AB - According to Damasio's somatic marker hypothesis, emotions are generated by conveying the current state of the body to the brain through interoceptive and proprioceptive afferent input. The resulting brain activation patterns represent unconscious emotions and correlate with subjective feelings. This proposition implies a corollary that the deliberate control of motor behavior could regulate feelings. We tested this possibility, hypothesizing that engaging in movements associated with a certain emotion would enhance that emotion and/or the corresponding valence. Furthermore, because motor imagery and observation are thought to activate the same mirror-neuron network engaged during motor execution, they might also activate the same emotional processing circuits, leading to similar emotional effects. Therefore, we measured the effects of motor execution, motor imagery and observation of whole-body dynamic expressions of emotions (happiness, sadness, fear) on affective state. All three tasks enhanced the corresponding affective state, indicating their potential to regulate emotions.

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Emotion regulation through execution, observation, and imagery of emotional movements

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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