The Effect of Anxiety Suppression on Cognitive Control
Date
2014
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Haverford College. Department of Psychology
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Thesis
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Award
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eng
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Abstract
The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between emotion regulation and cognitive control, specifically whether suppression of anxiety would affect later performance on a cognitive task due to cognitive depletion. The amplitude of an event-related potential known as the error-related negativity (ERN) was used to measure cognitive control. A virtual reality simulation was used to induce anxiety in two groups of participants, with a third control group with no mood manipulation. Of the two anxious groups, one was instructed to suppress their emotions during the manipulation. All participants then completed a Stroop test while EEG was recorded. According to participants' self-report, the groups differed as predicted on levels of anxiety and suppression. However, the groups showed similar performance on the Stroop test. A marginally significant difference in the amplitude of the ERN was found, whereby those who suppressed their anxiety had higher ERNs than those in the anxiety and control groups. The results may reflect a compensatory effect of cognitive control after cognitive load.