Putting Feelings into Words: Affect Labeling Disrupts Amygdala Activity in Response to Affective Stimuli
Lieberman, M.D., Eisenberger, N.I., Crockett, M.J., Tom, S.M., Pfeifer, J.H., Way, B.M. (2007) Psychological Science
Abstract
Using fMRI, this study showed that simply naming emotions — affect labeling — significantly reduces activity in the amygdala, the brain region responsible for processing emotional reactions. The more precise the label, the stronger the effect, suggesting that emotional vocabulary is a powerful self-regulation tool.
Keywords
affect labelingamygdalaemotional regulationfMRIneurosciencemindfulness
Neuroscience