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Updated: Oct 5, 2025

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
Published on: July 16, 2015
Interaction between working memory load and the ability to resist interference from negative distractors in dysphoria
Zhi-Jing Huang1,2, Fan-Fan Li1,2, Yu-Ting Zhang1,2
1Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior Central China Normal University (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China.
Abstract:
Although the relationship between emotional working memory (WM) and depressive symptoms has been well established in clinical samples, research in the subclinical population has produced mixed results. The present study tested the effect of WM load on control of interference from emotional (positive, negative, neutral) distractors in dysphoria. Dysphoric (n = 32) and non-dysphoric (n = 35) university students were administered the emotional 2-back (lower WM load) and 3-back (higher WM load) tasks. Results showed that resisting negative distractors was more difficult for the dysphoric group than the non-dysphoric group, but only in the 3-back task. The results demonstrate that dysphoria is associated with greater interference from negative distractors under high WM load. We conclude that both WM load and emotional valence have an effect on WM performance in dysphoria, and the poor ability to resist interference from negative distractors in WM might be a key cognitive vulnerability factor for depression.
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