Sex Differences in the Effects of Cognitive Reappraisal Training on Conditioned Fear Responses

Sex differences in emotion regulation strategies may impact sex differences in affective disorders. Using cognitive reappraisal strategy in the discriminative task of conditioned fear was studied to understand how sex differences in emotion regulation impact on conditioned fear in men and women. College students with low cognitive reappraisal scores completed the task of conditioned fear during two days: acquisition and extinction at the first day, and re-extinction at the second day. The reappraisal training was carried out before conditioned fear task. The self-reported fear rating of the conditioned stimulus (CS) and US-expectancy in the conditioned fear (unconditioned stimulus, US) were analyzed. Results showed all subjects acquired conditional fear and successfully distinguished CS+ from CS−. Cognitive reappraisal significantly reduces the fear rating and improves the extinction of US-expectancy in both sexes, but the fear rating in female reappraisal group decreases more slowly than that in male reappraisal group, as well as the extinction of US-expectancy in woman requiring a longer time and more trials of extinction than that in men. For individuals with low cognitive reappraisal scores, cognitive reappraisal promotes the extinction of conditioned fear in both males and females. Because of the original gender difference of conditioned fear extinction and emotion regulation, the effect of cognitive reappraisal on conditioned fear is complex, which shows differently in influence speed and practice effect.