Top-down attentional control in affective contexts

Executive function, a collection of cognitive processes that guide, monitor, and inhibit behavior, is critical for human cognition. However, little is known about how executive function operates within the transient affective states of everyday life, even though research suggests that such affective states may influence cognition. The present study examined top-down attentional control, one component of executive function, during three distinct affective contexts. The color-word Stroop task was used to measure top-down attentional control, and an autobiographical memory task manipulated the affective context in which the task was performed. Each participant performed the Stroop task in positive, neutral, and negative affective contexts. Stroop performance was enhanced in the presence of a positive affective context when it occurred after a negative affective context. Implications for future research are discussed.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• McDavitt, Jenika R.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Miller, Gregory A.

• executive function
• attentional control
• inhibition
• autobiographical memory
• positive affect
• negative affect

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2011 Jenika McDavitt

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/24191

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/24191