An electrophysiological investigation of emotional change: preliminary data

Rohde, Kristina Barbara; Caspar, Franz; König, Thomas; Pascual-leone, Antonio; Stein, Maria (25 January 2014). An electrophysiological investigation of emotional change: preliminary data (Unpublished). In: Annual Meeting Swiss Society of Neuroscience. Bern. 25.01.2014.

Many psychotherapy researchers agree that emotional change is critical to therapeutic progress. In emotion-focused and Gestalt therapy, one technique to foster emotional change is the empty chair dialogue. Psychotherapy research has yielded ample evidence that this technique helps to alleviate longstanding interpersonal grievances (‘unfinished business’) and facilitates emotional change.
Until now, little is known about the neurophysiological correlates of such emotional change. The present study thus aims at adding a further level of analysis to psychotherapy research, and may enrich knowledge about mechanisms of change.
Neurophysiological correlates of emotional change were investigated using multi-channel electroencephalography. Individuals experiencing ‘unfinished business’ were guided by experienced therapists to participate in an empty chair dialogue. Event-related brain potentials were recorded before and after the intervention while participants were viewing pictures of the person central to their interpersonal grievance as well as pictures of control persons. Event related potentials are compared regarding topography and overall signal strength. Preliminary results will be discussed regarding neurophysiological mechanisms of action potentially occurring during emotional change.

Item Type:

Conference or Workshop Item (Poster)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > University Psychiatric Services > University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy > Psychiatric Neurophysiology [discontinued]
07 Faculty of Human Sciences > Institute of Psychology > Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy

UniBE Contributor:

Rohde, Kristina Barbara (B), Caspar, Franz, König, Thomas, Stein, Maria

Subjects:

600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health

Language:

English

Submitter:

Maria Stein

Date Deposited:

22 Dec 2014 16:18

Last Modified:

29 Mar 2023 23:34

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/61245

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