Can verbal instructions aimed at being more reflective reduce threat-induced impulsivity?

Whether reflective processes can control impulsive processes is of both theoretical and applied interest. Interventions targeting reflective processes have been suggested to change how individuals react to emotional stimuli, but it is unclear under which conditions behavioural measures of impulsivity can be demonstrably influenced. In the current study, participants were given repeated instructions (varied between-subjects) related to reappraisal, visualisation, or loving-kindness meditation, or a baseline condition. Participants then performed blocks of an emotional Go/Nogo task known to evoke threat-induced impulsivity on both reaction time and accuracy contrasts. Effects of instructions were tested on these contrasts. Results showed no significant effects of instructions. Further, the null model was supported by Akaike’s Information Criterion and by Bayes Factors. The results thus contribute to knowledge on the nature of reflective-to-impulsive influence, by demonstrating an absence of an effect for the current instruction method and the current measure of impulsive processing.