The Effect of Working Memory Load on Evaluative Priming

TheThe present study examined the role of working memory in an evaluative priming paradigm, in which primes that are affectively congruent or incongruent are presented prior to a target stimulus. Studies typically observe a congruity effect, whereby responses to a congruent target-prime pairing are facilitated. However, research has also demonstrated an incongruity effects: whereby incongruent target-prime pairings are facilitated. It is theorized that the incongruity effect occurs due to a corrective mechanism. To examine the role of working memory in the evaluative priming, a within-subjects design was employed, in which working memory load, congruency, and target valence were manipulated. Firstly, the findings indicated an incongruity effect. Secondly, it seems that working memory is the cognitive resource implicated in expectancy-based strategies, as a working memory load reduced accuracy and increased response latencies to targets. Thirdly, the results revealed that the incongruity effect is attenuated by working memory load, suggesting that the incongruity effect is dependent on the availability of cognitive resources. The study also observed a happy face target recognition advantage. One implication of the present study is that that evaluative priming can occur via expectancy-based strategies when SOAs are long.

本研究探讨了工作记忆在评价性启动范式中的作用，在该范式中，情感上相一致或不相一致的启动刺激在目标刺激之前呈现。研究通常观察到一致性效应，即对一致性目标-启动配对的反应得到促进。然而，研究亦已证实了不一致性效应：即对不一致性目标-启动配对的反应亦得到促进。据理论推测，不一致性效应的发生源于一种校正机制。为探究工作记忆在评价性启动中的作用，本研究采用了被试内设计，其中工作记忆负荷、一致性以及目标价值得到操控。首先，研究发现存在不一致性效应。其次，似乎工作记忆是涉及基于期待策略的认知资源，因为工作记忆负荷的降低导致了对目标反应的准确性下降和反应潜伏期延长。第三，结果表明，不一致性效应因工作记忆负荷而减弱，这表明不一致性效应依赖于认知资源的可用性。本研究还观察到快乐面孔目标识别的优势。本研究的启示之一是，当SOAs（Stimulus Onset Asynchrony，刺激呈现时间间隔）较长时，评价性启动可以通过基于期待的策略发生。