How Our Brain Constructs Emotion: Implications for Emotion Regulation and Mental Health

  April 21, 2023

The nature and origin of emotions have fascinated researchers and philosophers for centuries. Various theories have been proposed to explain how emotions arise, with the basic emotion theory and the appraisal theory being two of the most prominent. However, the psychological construction approach, supported by advancements in neuroscience, offers an alternative explanation that may help us better understand the complex and multidimensional nature of emotions. This article will provide an overview of the psychological construction approach, focusing on its neuroscientific foundations, and discuss its implications for emotion regulation and mental health. Additionally, we will address critiques and challenges to this approach and suggest future directions for research and application.

The Psychological Construction Approach

The psychological construction approach posits that emotions are not innate, fixed entities but rather emerge from the interplay of more basic psychological processes [1]. Two major theories within this approach are Barrett's Conceptual Act Theory [1] and Russell's Core Affect Theory [2]. These theories propose that emotions are constructed through the integration of core affective experiences (e.g., pleasure, arousal) with conceptual knowledge and contextual information.

Barrett's Conceptual Act Theory
Barrett's Conceptual Act Theory proposes that emotions emerge from a combination of core affective experiences and conceptual knowledge [1]. According to this theory, the brain continually predicts and updates its understanding of the current situation by integrating sensory input with prior experiences, beliefs, and goals. Emotions arise when these predictions involve affective and evaluative content, with language and culture playing a crucial role in shaping the concepts we use to make sense of these experiences.

Russell's Core Affect Theory
Russell's Core Affect Theory posits that emotions result from the interaction between two underlying dimensions: valence (pleasantness-unpleasantness) and arousal (activation-deactivation) [2]. These dimensions, referred to as core affect, can be combined in various ways to produce a wide range of emotional experiences. Russell argues that the specific emotions we experience are constructed through a process of categorizing core affective states based on contextual cues, memories, and cultural knowledge.

Key tenets of the psychological construction approach include the idea that emotions are emergent phenomena, meaning that they arise from the combination of various psychological components. This approach also emphasizes the importance of individual differences, suggesting that each person may construct emotions differently based on their own experiences, cultural background, and cognitive processes. Lastly, the psychological construction approach stresses the role of language and culture in shaping our emotional experiences and understanding.

Neuroscience of Constructed Emotions

Recent advances in neuroscience have shed light on the neural mechanisms underlying the psychological construction of emotions. Research has identified three major brain networks involved in emotion construction: the default mode network [3], the salience network [4], and the executive control network [5]. These networks interact to facilitate the integration of interoceptive (internal bodily sensations) and exteroceptive (external sensory) information, allowing the brain to predict and form concepts about emotional experiences [6,7].

Default Mode Network
The default mode network (DMN) is a set of interconnected brain regions that are active during rest and introspective thinking, such as daydreaming or thinking about one's emotions [3]. The DMN is thought to play a role in constructing emotional experiences by integrating affective and contextual information, allowing individuals to make sense of their emotions within the context of their own experiences and beliefs.

Salience Network
The salience network, which includes the insula and the anterior cingulate cortex, is involved in detecting and prioritizing relevant internal and external stimuli [4]. In the context of emotion construction, the salience network contributes to the identification and integration of affective information, helping to distinguish between different emotional experiences and guiding attention toward emotionally salient stimuli.

Executive Control Network
The executive control network (ECN) comprises brain regions responsible for higher-order cognitive processes, such as decision-making, working memory, and attention [5]. The ECN plays a crucial role in emotion construction by modulating the interaction between affective and contextual information, enabling individuals to regulate their emotions through cognitive strategies, such as reappraisal or suppression.

Further Evidence Supporting Psychological Construction

Several lines of neurobiological evidence support the psychological construction approach. The neural basis of core affect has been linked to the insula and the anterior cingulate cortex, which are involved in processing interoceptive signals and integrating them with exteroceptive information [9]. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex also plays a role in representing the value of affective experiences [10].

Insula and Anterior Cingulate Cortex
The insula is a brain region that plays a key role in processing interoceptive information, such as bodily sensations, and integrating it with exteroceptive information from the environment [9]. The anterior cingulate cortex, on the other hand, is involved in evaluating the significance of affective experiences and allocating attention to emotionally relevant stimuli [10]. Together, these regions contribute to the neural basis of core affect, providing a foundation for the construction of emotional experiences.

Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex
The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) is implicated in the representation of the subjective value of affective experiences and the integration of affective and cognitive information [10]. The vmPFC is thought to play a crucial role in the psychological construction of emotions by contributing to the generation of predictions about emotional experiences and updating these predictions based on new information.

The neural basis of conceptualization can be found in brain regions such as the inferior frontal gyrus, which is involved in language processing [11], and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, which is implicated in social cognition and mentalizing [12]. The neural basis of emotion differentiation, on the other hand, has been associated with the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus, which are involved in memory formation and retrieval [13], and the precuneus and angular gyrus, which play a role in self-referential processing and episodic memory [14].

Inferior Frontal Gyrus and Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex
The inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) is a region involved in various language processes, including semantic processing and syntactic processing [11]. The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), on the other hand, is implicated in social cognition, mentalizing, and understanding the mental states of others [12]. These regions contribute to the neural basis of conceptualization in the psychological construction of emotions, enabling individuals to use language and social understanding to make sense of their affective experiences.

Hippocampus, Parahippocampal Gyrus, Precuneus, and Angular Gyrus
The hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus are involved in memory formation and retrieval, particularly in the context of episodic memory [13]. The precuneus and angular gyrus, on the other hand, are implicated in self-referential processing and the integration of episodic memory with current experiences [14]. These brain regions play a crucial role in emotion differentiation, allowing individuals to form nuanced and context-specific emotional experiences based on their memories and self-concept.

Implications for Emotion Regulation and Mental Health

The psychological construction approach has significant implications for emotion regulation and mental health. Cognitive reappraisal, a key emotion regulation strategy, can be understood as a process of re-constructing emotional experiences by changing the conceptualization of a situation [15]. Similarly, mindfulness practices, which involve non-judgmental awareness of one's own emotional experiences, can be seen as promoting emotional granularity and the ability to differentiate emotions [16].

Cognitive Reappraisal
Cognitive reappraisal is an emotion regulation strategy that involves reinterpreting the meaning of an emotional situation to alter its emotional impact [15]. By understanding emotions as constructed entities, the psychological construction approach highlights the potential for cognitive reappraisal to change emotional experiences by modifying the underlying conceptualizations and predictions.

Mindfulness Practices
Mindfulness practices, such as meditation and mindfulness-based interventions, emphasize non-judgmental awareness and acceptance of one's own emotional experiences [16]. The psychological construction approach suggests that these practices may enhance emotional granularity by promoting a more refined and nuanced understanding of one's own emotions, leading to more effective emotion regulation and improved mental health.

Higher emotional granularity has been linked to better mental health outcomes [17]. This suggests that interventions targeting emotion construction processes may be beneficial for improving mental health and well-being. For example, emotion-focused therapy [19] and acceptance and commitment therapy [20] both aim to enhance emotion regulation by promoting emotional awareness, differentiation, and acceptance.

Critiques and Challenges

Despite the growing body of evidence supporting the psychological construction approach, some challenges and limitations remain. One critique is the complexity and variability of emotions, which can make it difficult to establish clear definitions and operationalizations of emotional constructs. Another challenge is integrating the psychological construction approach with other emotion theories in a coherent framework that accounts for the full range of emotional phenomena.

Complexity and Variability of Emotions
The psychological construction approach acknowledges the complex and variable nature of emotions, which can make it challenging to develop clear and universally applicable definitions of emotional constructs. Addressing this challenge requires a nuanced and flexible understanding of emotions that can accommodate individual and cultural differences, as well as context-dependent variations in emotional experiences.

Integrating Psychological Construction with Other Emotion Theories
Another challenge is reconciling the psychological construction approach with other emotion theories, such as basic emotion theory and appraisal theory. Developing a comprehensive and integrative framework that incorporates the insights of multiple theories will be crucial for advancing our understanding of emotions and their impact on human experience.

Addressing these critiques and challenges will require continued advancements in neuroscience and methodology, as well as interdisciplinary collaboration between psychologists, neuroscientists, and other researchers. This will help to refine our understanding of emotion construction processes and improve the efficacy of emotion regulation interventions.

The psychological construction approach offers a fresh perspective on the nature and origins of emotions, emphasizing their emergent and context-dependent qualities. Supported by neuroscientific evidence, this approach has important implications for emotion regulation and mental health. As researchers continue to explore the complex and multidimensional nature of emotions, embracing the psychological construction approach and integrating it with other theories will be crucial for advancing our understanding of emotions and their impact on human experience.

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