To achieve this, researchers used a 6-point self-report measure to assess an individuals demand and resource skills. The researchers measured a participant’s ability, or inability, to cope with stressful situations. If an individual scored with a value greater than 1, they were evaluated to be in a threat state; a value less than 1 indicated challenge. Additionally, Moore et al. (2012) recorded heart rate and pupillary changes during task engagement to cross-reference a participant’s physiological reaction with their reported psychological state. To measure performance, the researchers used the mean radial error – the average distance between the ball and the hole – to measure task performance. A low mean radial error suggested that the participant executed better performance compared to a high mean radial …show more content…
However, cognitive reappraisal also benefits the psychological response to acute stress. Emotion regulation (ER) – an individual’s ability to adaptively change emotions and how they are experienced – is a key component to evaluating and experiencing stress (Gross, 1998). ER and cognitive reappraisal are closely related because cognitive reappraisal consists of reassessing a situation in order to reduce its emotional impact (Gross, 1998). Cognitive reappraisal has been found to be an effective coping strategy when faced with a stressful situation (Gross, 1998; Grisham, Flower, Williams, & Moulds, 2009). Mood can stimulate various emotional responses to different situations. Previous work has shown that reappraisal is effective in reducing sympathetic nervous system activation and mood responses (Ray, Wilhelm, & Gross, 2003). The current study focuses on cognitive reappraisal as a coping mechanism to reduce the onset of a negative emotional response. Thus, Keng et al. (2013) hypothesized that reappraisal will help down-regulate negative