Pupil dilation predicts individual self-regulation success across domains

Multiple theories have proposed that increasing central arousal through the brain's locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system may facilitate cognitive control and memory. However, the role of the arousal system in emotion regulation is less well understood. Pupil diameter is a proxy to infer upon the central arousal state. We employed an emotion regulation paradigm with a combination of design features that allowed us to dissociate regulation from emotional arousal in the pupil diameter time course of 34 healthy adults. Pupil diameter increase during regulation predicted individual differences in emotion regulation success beyond task difficulty. Moreover, the extent of this individual regulatory arousal boost predicted performance in another self-control task, dietary health challenges. Participants who harnessed more regulation-associated arousal during emotion regulation were also more successful in choosing healthier foods. These results suggest that a common arousal-based facilitation mechanism may support an individual's self-control across domains.

Automated summary

This study suggests that increasing central arousal through the brain's locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system can enhance cognitive control and memory, while also playing a role in emotion regulation. The pupil diameter serves as a proxy for central arousal state, and its increase during emotion regulation predicts success in regulation and other self-control tasks. This common arousal-based facilitation mechanism may support self-control abilities across different domains.