Interaction between emotional context-guided shifting and cognitive shifting: Introduction of a novel task

Aim: Task shifting is considered as a critical component of cognitive flexibility that underlies the ability to flexibly switch between tasks. It is measured by performance-based tasks, where participants have to select/ignore simple target stimuli such as letters, numbers, or words according to certain rules. However, in everyday life individuals need to manage and shift between more complex, often emotionally charged stimuli. Previous paradigms developed to measure affective flexibility are based on the task where the focus is to shift between emotional and non-emotional stimuli, instead of the flexible shift between emotional valences. In view of this, the aim of the present study was to develop the Emotional Shifting Task, a novel paradigm that is created with the purpose of assessing emotional flexibility abilities by means of a novel valence-specific shifting design. Furthermore, scientific discussion regarding the relationship between cognitive and emotional flexibility abilities, a connection that is rarely addressed in the literature would be addressed. Method: In the present paper, task shifting was assessed by means of the Task Switching Task while the Emotional Shifting Task method evaluated emotional flexibility abilities in an online setting. Results: The results revealed a significant, positive relationship between task shifting and emotional shifting from positive to negative images only. Furthermore, when fast and slow performers on TST were distinguished results showed that fast performers on TST were also faster on EST shift conditions in general, but not on EST non-shift condition. Conclusion: These findings indicate that cognitive and emotional flexibility abilities may be interrelated. Our results seem to indicate a connection between the two shifting abilities. (Neuropsychopharmacol Hung 2021; 23(2): 319-330).