Abstract:

To investigate the impact of voluntary choice on the subjective experience and autonomic nervous system responses to positive and negative emotions, this study employed a situational selection paradigm with 41 college students recruited via randomly recruiting. Participants were exposed to positive and negative images under both voluntary and forced choice. The findings revealed that in positive situations, the subjective experience of positive emotion under voluntary choice was significantly higher compared to forced choice condition, with HF-HRV being marginally greater than under forced choice, and LF/HF was significantly lower than under forced choice. In negative situations, the subjective experience of negative emotions under voluntary choice was marginally lower than under forced choice, with HF-HRV being marginally greater than under forced choice, and LF/HF was significantly lower than under forced choice. These findings indicate that voluntary choice enhances participants’ positive emotional experience, attenuates participants’ negative emotional experience, and simultaneously decreases participants’ physiological arousal levels, which, thereby, helps maintain an optimal emotional state.

Key words: voluntary choice, emotion regulation, autonomic nervous system

摘要：

为了探究自主选择对积极和消极情绪主观体验及自主神经反应的影响，本研究采用情境选择范式，随机招募41名天津某大学在校生，在自主和强制两种选择下先后观看积极图片和消极图片。结果发现，在积极情境中，自主选择的积极情绪体验显著高于强制选择，高频心率变异性边缘大于强制选择，低频与高频心率变异性比值显著小于强制选择；在消极情境中，自主选择的消极情绪体验边缘低于强制选择，高频心率变异性边缘大于强制选择，低频与高频心率变异性比值显著小于强制选择。研究表明，自主选择增加了被试的积极情绪体验，降低被试的消极情绪体验，同时降低了被试的生理唤醒水平，从而维持最佳情绪状态。

关键词: 自主选择, 情绪调节, 自主神经反应