The effect of reappraisal on the emotional regulation of shame in young adults with ASD and typical peers

Abstract Background Previous findings show that young adults with ASD experience shame in social interactions. These feelings, if poorly mishandled and regulated in a maladaptive manner, may interfere with their attempts to engage with their typical peers and build lasting relationships. One strategy that has been identified to improve shame regulation is cognitive reappraisal. The current study examined the effect of reappraising shame-arousing scenarios on the shame feelings of young adults with ASD and typical young adults. Methods Thirty-three Caucasian young adults diagnosed with ASD and 38 typical participants were shown shame-arousing pictures. They were instructed to imagine themselves as the primary character in each social shame scenario and to rate their feelings on a proud-to-shame rating scale. Then, they were trained on how to reappraise shame-arousing pictures less negatively. Finally, participants viewed different social shame photos, reappraised each, and rated their feelings. They stated aloud the new interpretation they came up with for each picture. The reported narratives were recorded on audiotape for later analysis. All participants were given questionnaires and cognitive tasks to assess ASD symptoms, non-verbal intelligence, and verbal abilities. Results We found a significant shame reduction after reappraising the images in both groups. However, qualitative analysis of these narratives revealed that the participants with ASD used significantly fewer narratives of positive social interactions. Instead, they provided more neutral and unrealistic descriptions than their typical peers. Limitations: Shame induction was manipulated, and ecological validity (as well as long-term effects of reappraisal) is yet to be determined. Participants provided their narratives only in the post-reappraisal stage, and additional measures of reappraisal manipulation are recommended. Conclusions These findings highlight shame-regulation abilities in individuals with ASD while pointing to their unique contents. Therefore, we recommend that clinical interventions of emotion regulation in ASD emphasize generating positive reappraisals of social situations.