Abstract
Due to the difficulty of trigger automatic emotion processing, the automatic emotion regulation of anger and fear is unclear and to explore. Using a priming procedure and ERP analysis, the current study investigated the time course of automatic emotion regulation and difference between anger and fear. 46 participants were required to finish a word matching task to activate the processing of emotion regulation unconsciously, then to complete angry and fearful facial expression identify task. Subjective self-reports and ERP results verified that: (1) priming procedure could effectively evoke automatic emotion regulation; (2) N170, EPN and LPP components analysis supported that the automatic emotion regulation started at the early stage, continued to the middle stage, and dissolved at the late stage of emotion processing; (3) anger and fear are two difference emotions with same automatic emotion regulation mechanism but distinct emotion processing.