Different patterns of primary emotional systems contribute to adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation

Abstract

The Affective Neuroscience Theory (ANT) describes six primary emotional systems (PLAY, SEEK, CARE, FEAR, ANGER, SADNESS). They are evolu-tionary adaptive, have distinct neural circuits in the brain and are responsible for individual differences in emotions. We examined the relationship of these emo-tional systems to cognitive emotion regulation (ER), and we identified distinctive patterns how the six pri-mary emotional systems contribute to adaptive and maladaptive ER.