Implicit self and the right hemisphere: Increasing implicit self‐esteem and implicit positive affect by left hand contractions

Quirin, Markus; Fröhlich, Stephanie; Kühl, Julius

doi:10.1002/ejsp.2281

Cited by 8 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 93 publications

(145 reference statements)

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“…In addition, recent studies suggest that the right hemisphere even contributes to the unconscious regulation of emotions. For example, Quirin, Bode, Fröhlich and Kuhl () found that activating the right hemisphere by squeezing a stress ball with the contralateral hand led to increases of implicit self‐esteem and implicit positive affect, but had no effects on explicit self‐esteem or explicit positive affect. Extended self‐development: integrative competence …”

Section: The Conceptual Self Versus the Integrated Selfmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These include the ability to cope with negative experiences by intuitively recruiting positive affect (Quirin, Bode, & Kuhl, ; Koole & Jostmann, ; see also Koole, ). Notably, activating the right hemisphere by squeezing a stress ball with the left hand leads to increases in implicit positive affect and implicit self‐esteem (Quirin et al, ). Moreover, the right hemisphere supports perspective taking and the inclination to deem others trustworthy (Winston et al, ) in addition to affect regulation and self‐development (Schore, , ).…”

Section: The Conceptual Self Versus the Integrated Selfmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Being Someone: The Integrated Self as a Neuropsychological System

Kühl

Quirin

Koole

2015

Social & Personality Psych

Self Cite

161

121

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Fully functioning persons are characterized by a unity in thought, emotion, and action that amounts to “being someone” or having “an integrated self.” Psychologists have typically treated the integrated self as merely a descriptive term that summarizes significant behavioral achievements. In the present article, the authors seek to place the integrated self on firmer theoretical grounds by relating the integrated self to a neurobiological system with distinct processing characteristics. Building on personality systems interactions theory (Kuhl, ), the authors suggest that the integrated self is supported by parallel‐distributed processing in the right anterior cortex and can be distinguished from simpler self‐related states of mind. From this neuropsychological model, the authors derive seven functions of the integrated self: emotional connectedness, broad vigilance, utilization of felt feedback, unconscious processing, integration of negative experiences, extended resilience, and extended trust. The authors discuss the seven functions and their mutual relations along with relevant behavioral and neurobiological evidence. Finally, the authors highlight the importance of positive relationships for optimal development of the integrated self and discuss how the integrated self might be further cultivated to improve self‐regulation and health.

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Section: The Conceptual Self Versus the Integrated Selfmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Conceptual Self Versus the Integrated Selfmentioning

confidence: 99%

Being Someone: The Integrated Self as a Neuropsychological System

Kühl

Quirin

Koole

2015

Social & Personality Psych

Self Cite

161

121

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“…There are experimental ([8], [31], [32], [33]) and EEG studies ([34], [35]) showing that unilateral muscle contractions activate the contralateral hemisphere. It has been found that activation of the right hemisphere through unilateral muscle contractions reduces self-infiltration [8], enhances creative thinking [32], increases implicit self-esteem [36], and prevents chocking under pressure in athletes, presumably by suppressing conscious control of the left hemisphere [31]. We therefore included activation of the left or right hemisphere as within-participant variable in the design.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

When do anorexic patients perceive their body as too fat? Aggravating and ameliorating factors

et al. 2019

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Objective Our study investigated body image representations in female patients with anorexia nervosa and healthy controls using a size estimation with pictures of their own body. We also explored a method to reduce body image distortions through right hemispheric activation. Method Pictures of participants' own bodies were shown on the left or right visual fields for 130 ms after presentation of neutral, positive, or negative word primes, which could be self-relevant or not, with the task of classifying the picture as “thinner than”, “equal to”, or “fatter than” one’s own body. Subsequently, activation of the left- or right hemispheric through right- or left-hand muscle contractions for 3 min., respectively. Finally, participants completed the size estimation task again. Results The distorted “fatter than” body image was found only in patients and only when a picture of their own body appeared on the right visual field (left hemisphere) and was preceded by negative self-relevant words. This distorted perception of the patients' body image was reduced after left-hand muscle contractions (right hemispheric activation). Discussion To reduce body image distortions it is advisable to find methods that help anorexia nervosa patients to increase their self-esteem. The body image distortions were ameliorated after right hemispheric activation. A related method to prevent distorted body-image representations in these patients may be Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.

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“…While the left hemisphere processes the information in a strictly sequential and unambiguously understood monosemantic context 81 , the function of the right hemisphere is to simultaneously capture a vast number of possible connections and to integrate them in an ambiguous but polysemantic context 81 – 83 . Because of this functionality, the right hemisphere has been involved in a variety of integrative phenomena 84 – 86 , including helping the implicit self 87 maintain a positivity bias 88 – 90 . The implicit self is a highly integrative construct that processes vast amounts of self-relevant information from cognitive (e.g., autobiographical memories), motivational (e.g., values, needs) and affective (e.g., emotions) systems in parallel 87 , 91 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because personal experiences are inherently perceived as positive in healthy individuals 92 , a functional implicit self is crucial in maintaining a positivity bias by assimilating negative affective experiences within a network of predominantly positive experiences 81 , 93 . Due to this holistic nature, the implicit self is believed to be a function of the right hemisphere 87 , 90 . The incapacity to regulate negative affect and display a (somewhat normal) positivity bias underlies emotional disorders such as depression, alexithymia and suicidal ideation, which are characterized both by a lack of optimism bias 53 and a functionally deficient right hemisphere 79 , 81 , 94 , including decreased integrity of white matter tracts 95 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Whole-brain white matter correlates of personality profiles predictive of subjective well-being

Kotikalapudi

Dricu

Moser

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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We investigated the white matter correlates of personality profiles predictive of subjective well-being. Using principal component analysis to first determine the possible personality profiles onto which core personality measures would load, we subsequently searched for whole-brain white matter correlations with these profiles. We found three personality profiles that correlated with the integrity of white matter tracts. The correlates of an “optimistic” personality profile suggest (a) an intricate network for self-referential processing that helps regulate negative affect and maintain a positive outlook on life, (b) a sustained capacity for visually tracking rewards in the environment and (c) a motor readiness to act upon the conviction that desired rewards are imminent. The correlates of a “short-term approach behavior” profile was indicative of minimal loss of integrity in white matter tracts supportive of lifting certain behavioral barriers, possibly allowing individuals to act more outgoing and carefree in approaching people and rewards. Lastly, a “long-term approach behavior” profile’s association with white matter tracts suggests lowered sensitivity to transient updates of stimulus-based associations of rewards and setbacks, thus facilitating the successful long-term pursuit of goals. Together, our findings yield convincing evidence that subjective well-being has its manifestations in the brain.

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Implicit self and the right hemisphere: Increasing implicit self‐esteem and implicit positive affect by left hand contractions

Cited by 8 publications

References 93 publications

Being Someone: The Integrated Self as a Neuropsychological System

Being Someone: The Integrated Self as a Neuropsychological System

When do anorexic patients perceive their body as too fat? Aggravating and ameliorating factors

Whole-brain white matter correlates of personality profiles predictive of subjective well-being

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