The brain uses higher cognitive processes to regulate and manage our emotions

Science · Published 20 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Researchers exploring the neuroscience of emotion found that humans possess a specific functional architecture for controlling their feelings. By analyzing functional imaging studies, they identified that we can regulate emotional responses through two primary methods: shifting our attention away from evocative stimuli or cognitively changing the meaning those stimuli hold for us.

This research highlights how emotion regulation is not just a reactive process but one that relies on interactions between different brain regions. Specifically, it involves a dialogue between prefrontal and cingulate control systems and the cortical and subcortical systems that generate emotions.

The study is a review of existing functional imaging data in humans. While it provides a framework for understanding these neural pathways, it is limited by the fact that these specific higher cognitive processes are difficult to study in nonhuman models.

Why it matters: Understanding how the brain balances emotional responses with logical control helps explain how humans adapt to complex social and internal environments.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• Your brain constructs emotions rather than reacting to them
• Your brain does not react to emotions; it constructs them
• Emotions are likely built from general brain networks rather than specific locations
• Emotions act as a complex filter that can both sharpen and blur memory
• Your feelings are an orchestral performance, not a solo act
• Implementing unified math standards in the US faces significant systemic hurdles
• The brain's default network activates during internal thought and mental simulation
• Peripheral nerve repair still falls short of full recovery, review finds
• The brain's default mode network maintains activity during periods of quiet repose
• The delicate balance between genetic diversity and population unity
• The brain anticipates language across multiple levels of sound and meaning
• The diverse roles of acyl lipids in plant structure and energy storage

More in Science · Latest · A–Z · All topics