Test-retest reliability of voluntary emotion regulation

Psychophysiology. 2009 Jul;46(4):874-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2009.00830.x. Epub 2009 May 15.

Abstract

Despite growing interest in emotion regulation, the degree to which psychophysiological measures of emotion regulation are stable over time remains unknown. We examined four-week test-retest reliability of corrugator electromyographic and eyeblink startle measures of negative emotion and its regulation. Both measures demonstrated similar sensitivity to the emotion manipulation, but only individual differences in corrugator modulation and regulation showed adequate reliability. Startle demonstrated diminished sensitivity to the regulation instructions across assessments and poor reliability. This suggests that corrugator represents a trait-like measure of voluntary emotion regulation, whereas startle should be used with caution for assessing individual differences. The data also suggest that corrugator and startle might index partially dissociable constructs and underscore the need to collect multiple measures of emotion.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Blinking / physiology
  • Electromyography
  • Emotions / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Psychometrics
  • Reflex, Startle / physiology
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Young Adult