Cognition and Emotion in Emotion Dysregulation

Abstract

Emotion dysregulation often implies that high levels of (frequently negative) emotion are simply not regulated by cognition. However, emotion dysregulation can refer to positive feedback loops that are created and maintained both by a lack of effective cognitive processes that regulate emotion, and by strong effects of emotion on cognition. This chapter first discusses the effect of cognition on emotion, with an emphasis on the effects of attention and cognitive control (e.g., emotion regulation) processes upon emotions. Then, it discusses the effect of emotion on cognition, with an emphasis on attention, memory, decision making, and cognitive control. Finally, it examines the implications of both types of emotion–cognition interactions by discussing the positive-feedback cycles that can produce dysregulated emotion.