The lateralized emotional stroop task: left visual field interference in women

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Emotional Processing

Background:

• The emotional Stroop task is a widely used paradigm to investigate the influence of emotional stimuli on cognitive processes.
• Previous research suggests emotional stimuli can interfere with cognitive tasks, but the lateralization of this effect, particularly in women, requires further elucidation.
• Trait anxiety is a personality trait associated with heightened emotional reactivity and potential alterations in cognitive control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the lateralization of emotional Stroop interference in women.
• To examine the differential impact of positive and negative emotional words on cognitive performance.
• To explore the moderating role of trait anxiety in emotional interference effects.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a visual hemifield emotional Stroop task with 54 female participants.
• Recorded vocal reaction times for color naming of laterally presented emotional and neutral words.
• Administered trait anxiety assessments to participants.

Main Results:

• Significant emotional interference effects were observed in the left visual field, indicating right hemisphere involvement.
• Negative words elicited larger interference effects than positive words in the left visual field.
• Higher trait anxiety scores correlated with increased interference for positive words in the left visual field compared to the right.

Conclusions:

• Emotional Stroop interference in women is primarily processed in the right hemisphere.
• Negative emotional stimuli have a more pronounced impact on cognitive processing than positive stimuli.
• Trait anxiety modulates the lateralization of emotional interference, particularly for positive words.