Arithmetic performance is modulated by cognitive reappraisal and expression suppression: Evidence from behavioral and ERP findings

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that negative emotional experiences are detrimental to individual's arithmetic performance, and no study has investigated whether such negative influence can be improved through emotional regulation. This study aimed to explore the relationship between emotion regulation and individual's performance in completing arithmetic problem verification task. Participants were asked to complete arithmetic problem verification task using the down-up strategy (e.g., doing 30 × 70 = 2100 for 34 × 67), under neutral, happy, and fear priming conditions, during which they were asked to regulate their emotional experience by using cognitive reappraisal or expressive suppression. Behavioral results showed that, under happy priming condition, cognitive reappraisal (but not expression suppression) contributed to improving individual's estimation speed. Additionally, under happy and fear priming conditions, cognitive reappraisal (vs. expression suppression) reduced individuals' emotional experience intensity. The arithmetic problem verification task-related ERP results showed that the P1 amplitudes elicited by using cognitive reappraisal (vs. freely view) were larger under happy and fear priming conditions, but the P1 amplitudes elicited by using expression suppression were larger only under happy condition. Meanwhile, the corresponding N170 amplitudes were smaller when using cognitive reappraisal and expression suppression (vs. freely view). Additionally, using cognitive reappraisal (vs. expression suppression) cost less cognitive resource (smaller LPC amplitudes). The present study indicated that both cognitive reappraisal and expression suppression contributed to improving individual's arithmetic performance, and the regulation effect of cognitive reappraisal was better than that of expression suppression.