The Role of Nondual Awareness and Self-identification in Emotion Regulation
Lead Investigator: James Gross, the Stanford Psychophysiology Laboratory
Institution: Stanford University
This study investigates the link between self-identification and negative emotional responding by examining whether a reduction in identification with one's thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and experiences (a conceptual self) decreases one's negative emotional responses.
Specifically, we are investigating the effects of instructions designed to decrease self-identification (versus a control manipulation) on emotional responses to critical remarks about one’s behavior and character. Participants randomly assigned to the "drop self-identification" condition listen to a 20-minute inquiry/meditation aimed at helping one to loosen their identification with a conceptual self (e.g., identify less with thoughts, feelings, physical sensations & reside more as awareness). Participants randomly assigned to the control condition listen to a 20-minute guided visualization of neutral places like a parking lot, book-store and supermarket. Both before and after the 20-minute audio induction, participants watch 60 newly developed video-clips of actors saying personally critical or neutral comments. Throughout, we are collecting 1) self-reported negative emotion ratings, 2) video-tapes of expressive behavior, and 3) psychophysiological responses including heart rate, breathing rate and skin conductance. Participants also fill out a variety of individual difference questionnaires.
We hypothesize that participants in the drop-self condition will demonstrate less negative emotional responding in self report, behavioral, and physiological responses than those in the control condition.
The Baumann Foundation
