Limitations of cognitive control on emotional distraction \u2013 Congruency in the Color Stroop task does not modulate the Emotional Stroop effect

Elisa Ruth Straub,Jinhui Zhang,Wilfried Kunde,David Dignath,Andrea Kiesel,Constantin Schmidts

doi:10.3758/s13415-021-00935-4

Elisa Ruth Straub, Jinhui Zhang + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-021-00935-4

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Abstract

Emotional information receives prioritized processing over concurrent cognitive processes. This can lead to distraction if emotional information has to be ignored. In the cognitive domain, mechanisms have been described that allow control of (cognitive) distractions. However, whether similar cognitive control mechanisms also can attenuate emotional distraction is an active area of research. This study asked whether cognitive control (triggered in the Color Stroop task) attenuates emotional distraction in the Emotional Stroop task. Theoretical accounts of cognitive control, and the Emotional Stroop task alike, predict such an interaction for tasks that employ the same relevant (e.g., color-naming) and irrelevant (e.g., word-reading) dimension. In an alternating-runs design with Color and Emotional Stroop tasks changing from trial to trial, we analyzed the impact of proactive and reactive cognitive control on Emotional Stroop effects. Four experiments manipulated predictability of congruency and emotional stimuli. Overall, results showed congruency effects in Color Stroop tasks and Emotional Stroop effects. Moreover, we found a spillover of congruency effects and emotional distraction to the other task, indicating that processes specific to one task impacted to the other task. However, Bayesian analyses and a mini-meta-analysis across experiments weigh against the predicted interaction between cognitive control and emotional distraction. The results point out limitations of cognitive control to block off emotional distraction, questioning views that assume a close interaction between cognitive control and emotional processing.

Highlights

IntroductionFor instance, are considered to have preferential access to awareness and receive prioritized processing over concurrent cognitive processes (Carretié, 2014; Ohman & Mineka, 2001; Yang & Pourtois, 2018)
Our results indicate that Emotional Stroop tasks may not evoke cognitive control through the need for suppression of the emotional distraction (Okon-Singer et al, 2013), because this would potentially lead to an interaction with control from Color Stroop tasks
Our experiments demonstrated that while Color and Emotional Stroop effects specific to one task impact on the other task, conflict-triggered control in the Color Stroop does not modulate emotional distraction at different timescales

Summary

Introduction

For instance, are considered to have preferential access to awareness and receive prioritized processing over concurrent cognitive processes (Carretié, 2014; Ohman & Mineka, 2001; Yang & Pourtois, 2018). While this is beneficial if emotional information is task-relevant, emotional information that is task-irrelevant interferes with other processes, resulting in. Current research provides two different theoretical accounts for emotional distraction instigated by Emotional Stroop tasks. Stolicyn et al (2017) suggested that emotional words activate the amygdala, which supports representations of taskrelated stimuli via projections to the medial prefrontal cortex and the orbitofrontal cortex at the expense of other ongoing tasks (Stolicyn et al, 2017)

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