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    Delayed reconfiguration of a non-emotional task set through reactivation of an emotional task set in task switching: an ageing study

    Berger, Natalie and Richards, Anne and Davelaar, Eddy J. (2019) Delayed reconfiguration of a non-emotional task set through reactivation of an emotional task set in task switching: an ageing study. Cognition and Emotion 33 (7), pp. 1370-1386. ISSN 1464-0600.

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    Abstract

    In our everyday life, we frequently switch between different tasks, a faculty that changes with age. However, it is still not understood how emotion impacts on age-related changes in task switching. Using faces with emotional and neutral expressions, Experiment 1 investigated younger (n = 29; 18–38 years old) and older adults’ (n = 32; 61–80 years old) ability to switch between an emotional and a non-emotional task (i.e. responding to the face's expression vs. age). In Experiment 2, younger and older adults also viewed emotional and neutral faces, but switched between two non-emotional tasks (i.e. responding to the face's age vs. gender). Data from Experiment 1 demonstrated that switching from an emotional to a non-emotional task was slower when the expression of the new face was emotional rather than neutral. This impairment was observed in both age groups. In contrast, Experiment 2 revealed that neither younger nor older adults were affected by block-wise irrelevant emotion when switching between two non-emotional tasks. Overall, the findings suggest that task-irrelevant emotion can impair task switching through reactivation of the competing emotional task set. They also suggest that this effect and the ability to shield task-switching performance from block-wise irrelevant emotion are preserved in ageing.

    Metadata

    Item Type: Article
    Keyword(s) / Subject(s): Experimental and Cognitive Psychology, Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous), Developmental and Educational Psychology
    School: Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science > School of Psychological Sciences
    SWORD Depositor: Mr Joe Tenant
    Depositing User: Mr Joe Tenant
    Date Deposited: 19 Feb 2019 14:53
    Last Modified: 02 Aug 2023 17:48
    URI: https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/26057

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