Daily fluctuations in positive affect positively co-vary with working memory performance

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Affective Science

Background:

• Positive affect influences motivation, attention, and information processing, impacting cognitive performance.
• Previous research suggests a link between well-being and successful outcomes.
• The within-individual relationship between daily positive affect fluctuations and cognitive tasks requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the day-to-day impact of positive affect on cognitive performance within individuals.
• To investigate the role of motivation in mediating the relationship between positive affect and cognitive tasks.
• To determine if the effects of positive affect on performance are independent of negative affect.

Main Methods:

• A microlongitudinal design was employed with 101 young adults (20-31 years).
• Participants completed 3 working memory tasks on approximately 100 occasions.
• Daily self-reports on momentary affect and task motivation were collected.

Main Results:

• Performance on 2 of the 3 working memory tasks improved on days with above-average positive affect.
• This performance enhancement was positively associated with increased motivation.
• Improvements in task performance related to positive affect were largely independent of negative affect variations.

Conclusions:

• Daily fluctuations in positive affect significantly impact cognitive performance, particularly working memory.
• Motivation plays a key role in the positive affect-performance relationship.
• Enhanced cognitive success on demanding tasks is more probable during periods of heightened positive affect.