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.

本研究考察了工作记忆（working memory）在评价启动范式（evaluative priming paradigm）中的作用。该范式中，在靶刺激呈现前会先呈现情绪效价一致或不一致的启动刺激。既往研究通常会观察到一致性效应，即对靶刺激与启动刺激匹配一致的试次的反应会得到易化。但也有研究发现了不一致性效应：即靶刺激与启动刺激匹配不一致的试次的反应反而会得到易化。有理论提出，不一致性效应源于一种矫正性认知机制。为考察工作记忆在评价启动中的作用，本研究采用了被试内实验设计，对工作记忆负荷、一致性以及靶刺激效价进行了操纵。首先，本研究的结果验证了不一致性效应的存在；其次，结果表明工作记忆是基于预期策略所依赖的认知资源——工作记忆负荷的增加会降低靶刺激的识别准确率并延长反应时；第三，研究发现工作记忆负荷会削弱不一致性效应，这提示不一致性效应依赖于可用的认知资源总量。本研究同时观察到了笑脸靶刺激的识别优势效应。本研究的一项理论启示是：当刺激呈现异步性（stimulus onset asynchrony，SOA）较长时，评价启动效应可通过基于预期的策略得以产生。