Effects of ambivalence and intensity on emotion regulation choice with negative and positive images

Bibliographic Data

ID21282909
AuthorsScarlett Horner (0000-0002-9328-588X, University of Manitoba), Steven G Greening (0000-0003-4578-4139, University of Manitoba, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume264
Pages106568
Publication date2026-04-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueActa Psychologica (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0001-6918 • E-ISSN: 1873-6297
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.106568
PMID41795555
OpenAlexW7134113561
LanguageEN
References cited30

Previous research has found that people are more likely to choose to reappraise ambivalent images compared to non-ambivalent negative images. The purpose of this study was to replicate Horner et al. (2023) with a novel set of negative images (Experiment 1) and determine if the findings generalize to positive images (Experiments 2-3). We hypothesized that people are more likely to choose reappraisal for ambivalent compared to non-ambivalent images. Using an emotion regulation choice paradigm in which people downregulated negative emotion (Experiment 1), we found that people were more likely to choose to reappraise ambivalent images compared to non-ambivalent images, with an interaction showing that the effect was driven by an greater likelihood to reappraise high intensity ambivalent images compared to high intensity non-ambivalent images, with minimal differences between low intensity ambivalent and non-ambivalent images. In Experiments 2-3, participants did an emotion regulation choice paradigm where they downregulated positive emotion. We found that participants were more likely to reappraise high intensity positive images compared to low intensity positive images in Experiment 2, and a similar marginal effect in Experiment 3, with no effect of ambivalence. The effect of ambivalent information on emotion regulation choice may only be significant in negative contexts

Ambivalence · Cognition · Intensity (physics) · Negative emotion · Set (abstract data type) · Cultural Differences and Values · Emotions and Moral Behavior · Face Recognition and Perception

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