Reward Modulates Affective Priming Effect in Cognitive Conflict Processing: Electrophysiological Evidence

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Affective Science

Background:

• Cognitive conflict processing influences affective priming.
• The resolution stage of conflict processing is critical for affective priming direction.
• Rewards are hypothesized to play a key role in affective priming during conflict resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the affective priming effect during cognitive conflict resolution.
• To examine the moderating role of rewards on this affective priming effect.
• To utilize event-related potentials (ERPs) to understand the neural mechanisms.

Main Methods:

• Arrow flanker task for prime stimuli and affective words for target stimuli.
• Behavioral measures of performance and accuracy.
• Event-related potentials (ERPs) analysis, focusing on N2 and N400 components.

Main Results:

• Significant conflict effect observed behaviorally, with rewards improving performance.
• Enhanced N2 amplitudes indicated conflict detection.
• Rewarded condition showed enhanced N400 for positive targets after conflict (positive priming); unrewarded condition showed reduced N400 (hindered processing).

Conclusions:

• Cognitive conflict induces a positive affective priming effect during the resolution stage.
• Rewards significantly moderate this positive priming effect.
• Reward processing influences how cognitive conflict impacts emotional responses.