The Influence of Positive Affect on Working Memory

Authors

Brenna S. Adams, Brigham Young University
Dr. Michael J. Larson, Brigham Young University

Keywords

positive emotion, working memory, cognitive abilities

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Psychology

Abstract

Positive affect, or positive emotion, is associated with improvements in most cognitive abilities, such as creative problem solving (Isen, Daubman, & Nowicki, 1987), the integration of information for strategic decision-making (Estrada, Isen, & Young, 1997), and verbal fluency (Phillips, Bull, Adams, & Fraser, 2002). However, recent studies report that positive affect also fosters increased distractibility, impairing working memory (Dreisbach, 2006; Dreisbach & Goschke, 2004). Working memory refers to the neural system involved in “temporary maintenance and manipulation of information” (Baddeley, 2002, p. 85).

Recommended Citation

Adams, Brenna S. and Larson, Dr. Michael J. (2013) "The Influence of Positive Affect on Working Memory," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2013: Iss. 1, Article 543.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2013/iss1/543