Regulating emotions under exposure to negative out-group-related news material results in increased acceptance of out-groups

Negative emotions affect the acceptance of out-groups. Here, we investigated whether modifying negative emotions would affect perceptions of out-groups. We experimentally manipulated the use of two emotion regulation strategies: suppression of emotional expression and cognitive reappraisal, the latter involving reframing a situation to mitigate its emotional impact. Using a population-based sample (<i>N</i> = 317), we conducted an online randomized controlled trial. Participants regulated their emotions while reading threatening news about out-groups. Not only reappraisal, but also suppression increased immediate acceptance of out-groups. The effect of reappraisal was partly mediated by decreased disgust, suggesting unique effects of reappraisal on this emotion. In the suppression condition acceptance decreased at high levels of habitual emotion regulation, whereas reappraisal showed an opposite tendency. Previous research may have underestimated the importance of different emotion regulation strategies on prejudice, and that relatively simple interventions can affect prejudice. The findings are of interest to prejudice prevention programs.

负面情绪会影响个体对外部群体（out-group）的接纳程度。本研究旨在探讨调控负面情绪是否会改变人们对外部群体的感知。我们通过实验操控了两种情绪调节策略的使用：情绪表达抑制（suppression of emotional expression）与认知重评（cognitive reappraisal）——后者指通过重构事件情境以缓解其带来的情绪冲击。我们采用基于人群的抽样样本（N=317），开展了一项线上随机对照试验。参与者在阅读针对外部群体的威胁性新闻的过程中，完成情绪调节任务。研究结果显示，无论是认知重评还是情绪表达抑制，均能提升个体对外部群体的即时接纳度。认知重评的效应部分通过厌恶感的降低得以介导，这表明认知重评对该情绪具有独特的调控作用。在情绪表达抑制组中，当个体习惯性情绪调节水平较高时，其对外部群体的接纳度会出现下降；而认知重评组则呈现出相反的趋势。既往研究或许低估了不同情绪调节策略对偏见的影响权重，而相对简易的干预手段即可对偏见产生调控作用。本研究结果对偏见预防相关项目具有重要参考价值。