Anxiety and apprehension in visual working memory performance: no change to capacity, but poorer distractor filtering

Abstract

ABSTRACTBackground and objectives: Individual differences in acute and chronic anxiety have been linked to changes in working memory ability, though evidence for differences in specifically visual working memory performance has been inconsistent. The present study examined the role of both trait anxiety and induced feelings of apprehension on visual working memory performance. Design: 2 (Noise) x 2 (Distraction) within-person design with anxiety as a between-person factor. Methods: Forty-six participants recruited via online advertisement completed a change detection task, memorizing the orientations of rectangular bars presented either alone or among additional distractors, comparing this to a subsequent test display. Trait anxiety levels were measured by self-report questionnaire. To induce apprehension, participants completed some experimental blocks where loud aversive white noise could be presented at low probability. Results: Results of ANOVA and ANCOVA models showed that neither trait anxiety nor apprehension affected memory performance when only relevant objects were shown. However, memory performance was impaired when distractor objects were presented, and this effect was exacerbated under apprehension particularly for high trait anxious individuals. Conclusions: Results suggest that induced apprehension and trait anxiety have little influence on visual working memory capacity, instead primarily disrupting distractor filtering efficiency.