The effect of a foreign language on cognitive reappraisal during exposure to a phobic stimulus

• Isabel Ortigosa ^[1] ; Irene Jaén ^[2] ; Víctor Costumero ^[2] ; Azucena García-Palacios ^[2]
  1. [1] Universitat Pompeu Fabra

     Universitat Pompeu Fabra

     Barcelona, España

     
  2. [2] University Jaume I, Castelló de la Plana, Spain
• Localización: Bilingualism: Language and cognition, ISSN 1366-7289, Vol. 27, Nº 4, 2024, págs. 668-677
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1017/S1366728923000810
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• Resumen

  • This study investigates whether the cognitive reappraisal strategy is influenced by the participant's language (native/foreign) when confronting a fearful stimulus. Sixty participants with subclinical phobia of cockroaches were exposed to several phobic and neutral pictures while they used cognitive reappraisal in their native language or a foreign one. Electrodermal activity, pupil dilation, and self-reports of affective valence and arousal were collected. Results showed that participants in the foreign context were more effective at using reappraisal to reduce valence self-ratings compared to using no regulation. Also, participants in the foreign context showed greater pupil size when reappraising their emotions, compared to the non-regulation condition. Depending on the language, no differences were found for arousal self-reports or electrodermal activity when using reappraisal. These results suggest that using a foreign language could be advantageous in reducing the negative valence through reappraisal. Psychophysiological results are discussed in light of cognitive effort studies.