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Vol.27 No.1

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Working Memory Load Effect on Negative Emotional Face Processing Depends on Individual Differences in Working Memory Capacity

The Korean Journal of Cognitive and Biological Psychology / The Korean Journal of Cognitive and Biological Psychology, (P)1226-9654; (E)2733-466X
2015, v.27 no.1, pp.41-58
https://doi.org/10.22172/cogbio.2015.27.1.003


& (2015). Working Memory Load Effect on Negative Emotional Face Processing Depends on Individual Differences in Working Memory Capacity. The Korean Journal of Cognitive and Biological Psychology, 27(1), 41-58, https://doi.org/10.22172/cogbio.2015.27.1.003

Abstract

The present study examined whether individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) modulate the effect of working memory load on emotional face processing. Each group of high-span and low-span was selected by virtue of participants’ WMC scores of operation span task. Working memory load (WML) was manipulated within subjects by the mental rehearsal of two (low-WML) versus six (high-WML) visual objects in delayed recognition task. A picture of negative (angry) or neutral face was presented during delay while event-related brain potentials were recorded. Behavioral results of recognition judgment showed that relative inaccuracy by negative face compared to neutral face was found only at high-WML. In case of low-WML, valence effects (enhanced N170 amplitude to negative compared to neutral face) were found on both left and right hemispheres of low-span as well as high-span. But, in case of high-WML, valence effect was found only on right hemisphere of high-span. These results suggest that working memory load reduces attentional resources for distracting negative facial expressions, but high-span of working memory can process facial expressions even under high load of working memory. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that facial expression processing is dependent on attentional resources.

keywords
작업기억용량, 얼굴정서처리, 작업기억부담, ERP, N170, working memory capacity, emotional face processing, working memory load, ERP, N170

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