High neuroticism is associated with reduced negative affect following sleep deprivation

Cognitive reappraisal (CR) is a strategy used to regulate emotions that is thought to be effective but effortful, relying on higher-order cognitive control systems to engage in active regulation. Sleep deprivation is believed to impair the functioning of these control systems, suggesting that it may impede the ability to implement CR effectively. This study tested the causal effects of sleep deprivation on emotional reactivity and the neurobiological systems underlying CR. We employed a within-subject crossover design in which participants underwent fMRI scanning twice, once when fully rested and once after a night of total sleep deprivation. During scans, participants passively viewed or used CR to down-regulate their emotional response to negative and neutral images. Contrary to hypotheses, both self-reported negative affect ratings and neural responses to the images indicated no difference in the way participants implemented CR when sleep deprived and when fully rested. Meanwhile, neural regions that showed distinct reactivity responses to negative relative to neutral images lost this specificity under deprived conditions. Negative affect ratings and heart rate deceleration, a physiological response typically evoked by aversive pictures, exhibited a similar blunting. Together, these results suggest that, although sleep deprivation may reduce the discrimination between emotional reactivity responses to negative and neutral stimuli, it does not impact CR the way it is presently studied.

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Losing Control: Sleep Deprivation Impairs the Suppression of Unwanted Thoughts

Clinical Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/2167702620951511 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 216770262095151 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Marcus O. Harrington ◽

Jennifer E. Ashton ◽

Subbulakshmi Sankarasubramanian ◽

Michael C. Anderson ◽

Scott A. Cairney

Keyword(s):

Negative Affect ◽

Sleep Deprivation ◽

Sleep Disturbance ◽

Medial Temporal Lobe ◽

Conscious Awareness ◽

Salutary Effect ◽

Psychiatric Conditions ◽

Memory Control ◽

Unwanted Thoughts

Unwanted memories often enter conscious awareness when individuals confront reminders. People vary widely in their talents at suppressing such memory intrusions; however, the factors that govern suppression ability are poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that successful memory control requires sleep. Following overnight sleep or total sleep deprivation, participants attempted to suppress intrusions of emotionally negative and neutral scenes when confronted with reminders. The sleep-deprived group experienced significantly more intrusions (unsuccessful suppressions) than the sleep group. Deficient control over intrusive thoughts had consequences: Whereas in rested participants suppression reduced behavioral and psychophysiological indices of negative affect for aversive memories, it had no such salutary effect for sleep-deprived participants. Our findings raise the possibility that sleep deprivation disrupts prefrontal control over medial temporal lobe structures that support memory and emotion. These data point to an important role of sleep disturbance in maintaining and exacerbating psychiatric conditions characterized by persistent, unwanted thoughts.

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Mild to moderate partial sleep deprivation is associated with increased impulsivity and decreased positive affect in young adults

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsaa078 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 43 (10) ◽

Author(s):

Ingvild Saksvik-Lehouillier ◽

Simen Berg Saksvik ◽

Johanna Dahlberg ◽

Tiril K Tanum ◽

Heidi Ringen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Reaction Time ◽

Negative Affect ◽

Sleep Deprivation ◽

Positive Affect ◽

Study Protocol ◽

Performance Test ◽

Response Speed ◽

Commission Errors ◽

Short Sleep ◽

Partial Sleep Deprivation

Abstract The effects of mild–moderate partial sleep deprivation on affective and cognitive functioning were evaluated in a naturalistic home environment, mimicking short sleep typically caused by demands from work or society. A total of 52 healthy individuals aged 18–35 was included in an 11-day study protocol. Participants slept at home, and sleep patterns were observed using actigraphs and sleep diaries. After maintaining habitual sleep for 7 days, the participants were asked to sleep 2 hours less than their average sleep duration for the last three nights of the study protocol. A not-X continuous performance test was administered at 9 am (± 90 minutes) on days 1, 4, 8 (habitual sleep), 9 and 11 (sleep deprivation). Performance-based measures included response accuracy and speed. Participant-reported measures included how well the participants felt they performed and how exhausted they were from taking the test, as well as positive and negative affect. There was a significant change in reaction time, number of commission errors, subjective performance, subjective exertion, and positive affect across the visits. Specifically, there was a linear decrease in reaction time, performance, and positive affect throughout the study, and a significant quadratic trend for commissions and exertion (first decreasing, then increasing after sleep deprivation). The univariate tests for omissions and negative affect were not significant. We conclude that sleeping 1.5–2 hours less than usual leads to faster response speed, but more commission errors and decreased positive affect. This indicates that individuals become more impulsive and experience less positive affect after a period of short sleep.

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Sleep deprivation and stressors: Evidence for elevated negative affect in response to mild stressors when sleep deprived.

Emotion ◽

10.1037/a0026871 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 1015-1020 ◽

Cited By ~ 150

Author(s):

Jared D. Minkel ◽

Siobhan Banks ◽

Oo Htaik ◽

Marisa C. Moreta ◽

Christopher W. Jones ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Negative Affect ◽

Sleep Deprivation

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Losing Control: Sleep Deprivation Impairs the Suppression of Unwanted Thoughts

10.1101/813121 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Marcus O. Harrington ◽

Jennifer E. Ashton ◽

Subbulakshmi Sankarasubramanian ◽

Michael C. Anderson ◽

Scott A. Cairney

Keyword(s):

Negative Affect ◽

Sleep Deprivation ◽

Sleep Disturbance ◽

Medial Temporal Lobe ◽

Conscious Awareness ◽

Salutary Effect ◽

Psychiatric Conditions ◽

Memory Control ◽

Unwanted Thoughts

AbstractUnwanted memories often enter conscious awareness when we confront reminders. People vary widely in their talents at suppressing such memory intrusions; however, the factors that govern suppression ability are poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that successful memory control requires sleep. Following overnight sleep or total sleep deprivation, participants attempted to suppress intrusions of emotionally negative and neutral scenes when confronted with reminders. The sleep-deprived group experienced significantly more intrusions (unsuccessful suppressions) than the sleep group. Deficient control over intrusive thoughts had consequences: whereas in rested participants suppression reduced behavioural and psychophysiological indices of negative affect for aversive memories, it had no such salutary effect for sleep-deprived participants. Our findings raise the possibility that sleep deprivation disrupts prefrontal control over medial temporal lobe structures that support memory and emotion. These data point to an important role of sleep disturbance in maintaining and exacerbating psychiatric conditions characterised by persistent, unwanted thoughts.

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Caffeine and Placebo Expectation

Journal of Psychophysiology ◽

10.1027/0269-8803.21.2.91 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 91-99 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Yunfeng Sun ◽

Yinling Zhang ◽

Ning He ◽

Xufeng Liu ◽

Danmin Miao

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Heart Rate ◽

Sleep Deprivation ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Cognitive Functions ◽

Cardiovascular Regulation ◽

Double Blind ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Pressure Tests ◽

Healthy Males

Abstract. Caffeine placebo expectation seems to improve vigilance and cognitive performance. This study investigated the effect of caffeine and placebo expectation on vigilance and cognitive performance during 28 h sleep deprivation. Ten healthy males volunteered to take part in the double-blind, cross-over study, which required participants to complete five treatment periods of 28 h separated by 1-week wash-out intervals. The treatments were no substance (Control); caffeine 200 mg at 00:00 (C200); placebo 200 mg at 00:00 (P200); twice caffeine 200 mg at 00:00 and 04:00 (C200-C200); caffeine 200 mg at 00:00 and placebo 200 mg at 04:00 (C200-P200). Participants were told that all capsules were caffeine and given information about the effects of caffeine to increase expectation. Vigilance was assessed by a three-letter cancellation test, cognitive functions by the continuous addition test and Stroop test, and cardiovascular regulation by heart rate and blood pressure. Tests were performed bihourly from 00:00 to 10:00 of the second day. Results indicated that C200-P200 and C200-C200 were more alert (p < .05) than Control and P200. Their cognitive functions were higher (p < .05) than Control and P200. Also, C200-P200 scored higher than C200 in the letter cancellation task (p < .05). No test showed any significant differences between C200-P200 and C200-C200. The results demonstrated that the combination of caffeine 200 mg and placebo 200 mg expectation exerted prolonged positive effects on vigilance and cognitive performance.

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Measures of RSA Suppression, Attentional Control, and Negative Affect Predict Self-Ratings of Executive Functions

Journal of Psychophysiology ◽

10.1027/0269-8803/a000053 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 25 (4) ◽

pp. 164-173 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Brian Healy ◽

Aaron Treadwell ◽

Mandy Reagan

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Heart Rate ◽

Regression Analysis ◽

Individual Differences ◽

Negative Affect ◽

Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia ◽

Attentional Control ◽

Executive Processes ◽

Sinus Arrhythmia ◽

Low Levels

The current study was an attempt to determine the degree to which the suppression of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and attentional control were influential in the ability to engage various executive processes under high and low levels of negative affect. Ninety-four college students completed the Stroop Test while heart rate was being recorded. Estimates of the suppression of RSA were calculated from each participant in response to this test. The participants then completed self-ratings of attentional control, negative affect, and executive functioning. Regression analysis indicated that individual differences in estimates of the suppression of RSA, and ratings of attentional control were associated with the ability to employ executive processes but only when self-ratings of negative affect were low. An increase in negative affect compromised the ability to employ these strategies in the majority of participants. The data also suggest that high attentional control in conjunction with attenuated estimates of RSA suppression may increase the ability to use executive processes as negative affect increases.

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The Blank in the Mind Questionnaire (BIMQ)

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759.25.2.115 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 115-122 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Despina Moraitou ◽

Anastasia Efklides

Keyword(s):

Negative Affect ◽

Convergent Validity ◽

Factor Model ◽

Self Report ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Confirmatory Factor ◽

Memory Failure ◽

Temporary Memory ◽

The Mind ◽

Lack Of Knowledge

Metacognitive awareness of memory failure may take the form of the “blank in the mind” (BIM) experience. The BIM experience informs the person of a temporary memory failure and takes the form of a disruption in the flow of consciousness, of a moment of no content in awareness. The aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Blank in the Mind Questionnaire (BIMQ) designed to tap the BIM experience and differentiate it from other memory-related experiences, such as searching but not having in memory a piece of information (i.e., lack of knowledge). The participants (N = 493) were 249 younger adults (18–30 years old) and 244 older adults (63–89 years old) of both genders. Confirmatory factor analysis applied to the BIMQ confirmed a three-factor model with interrelations between the factors. The first factor represented the experience of lack of knowledge, the second represented the experience of BIM, and the third the person’s negative affective reactions to memory failure. The internal consistency of the three factors ranged from Cronbach’s α = .80 to .88. Convergent validity was shown with correlations of the BIMQ factors with self-report measures of cognitive and memory failures, and to the negative-affect subscale of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS).

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The Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of Positive and Negative Affect

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759/a000252 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 32 (4) ◽

pp. 265-272 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Mohsen Joshanloo ◽

Ali Bakhshi

Keyword(s):

Negative Affect ◽

Measurement Invariance ◽

Factor Structure ◽

Factor Model ◽

Positive And Negative Affect ◽

Cultural Groups ◽

Invariance Testing ◽

The Usa ◽

Scalar Invariance ◽

Gender Groups

Abstract. This study investigated the factor structure and measurement invariance of the Mroczek and Kolarz’s scales of positive and negative affect in Iran (N = 2,391) and the USA (N = 2,154), and across gender groups. The two-factor model of affect was supported across the groups. The results of measurement invariance testing confirmed full metric and partial scalar invariance of the scales across cultural groups, and full metric and full scalar invariance across gender groups. The results of latent mean analysis revealed that Iranians scored lower on positive affect and higher on negative affect than Americans. The analyses also showed that American men scored significantly lower than American women on negative affect. The significance and implications of the results are discussed.

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