Does a high working memory capacity attenuate the negative impact of trait anxiety on attentional control? Evidence from the antisaccade task

Wright, Caitlin; Dobson, Keith S.; Sears, Christopher R.

doi:10.1080/20445911.2014.901331

Cited by 21 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Similarly, and in line with preceding evidence, results from Experiment 2 showed that WM capacity is also related to non-native language achievement, at least at intermediate levels of proficiency. It has been previously shown that WM capacity is highly correlated not just with general reading comprehension, but with general reasoning abilities ( Daneman and Carpenter, 1980 ; Turner and Engle, 1989 ; Kyllonen and Christal, 1990 ), mathematical processing ( Ashcraft, 1995 ; Gathercole and Pickering, 2000 ; Lee and Kang, 2002 ; Kyttälä and Lehto, 2008 ) and attentional control, among other cognitive skills ( Barrett et al, 2004 ; Wright et al, 2014 ). In that sense, WM capacity was also positively related with good reading achievement at intermediate levels of proficiency, but not at lower levels, suggesting that this factor could play a different role at different stages of language learning.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foreign language comprehension achievement: insights from the cognate facilitation effect

et al. 2015

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Numerous studies have shown that the native language influences foreign word recognition and that this influence is modulated by the proficiency in the non-native language. Here we explored how the degree of reliance on cross-language similarity (as measured by the cognate facilitation effect) together with other domain-general cognitive factors contribute to reading comprehension achievement in a non-native language at different stages of the learning process. We tested two groups of native speakers of Spanish learning English at elementary and intermediate levels in an academic context. A regression model approach showed that domain-general cognitive skills are good predictors of second language reading achievement independently of the level of proficiency. Critically, we found that individual differences in the degree of reliance on the native language predicted foreign language reading achievement, showing a markedly different pattern between proficiency groups. At lower levels of proficiency the cognate facilitation effect was positively related with reading achievement, while this relation became negative at intermediate levels of foreign language learning. We conclude that the link between native- and foreign-language lexical representations helps participants at initial stages of the learning process, whereas it is no longer the case at intermediate levels of proficiency, when reliance on cross-language similarity is inversely related to successful non-native reading achievement. Thus, at intermediate levels of proficiency strong and direct mappings from the non-native lexical forms to semantic concepts are needed to achieve good non-native reading comprehension, in line with the premises of current models of bilingual lexico-semantic organization.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foreign language comprehension achievement: insights from the cognate facilitation effect

et al. 2015

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“…Working memory can possibly mediate the relationship between anxiety and cognitive performance (Qi, Zeng, Luo, Duan, Ding, Hu, & Hong, 2014;Owens, Stevenson, Hadwin, & Norgate, 2012), with impairments in working memory capacity exaggerating the effects of anxiety on cognitive performance (Wright, Dobson, & Sears, 2014).…”

Section: Attentional Control Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Training working memory to improve attentional control in anxiety: A proof-of-principle study using behavioral and electrophysiological measures

Sari

Koster

Pourtois

et al. 2016

Biological Psychology

164

140

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Trait anxiety is associated with impairments in attentional control and processing efficiency (see Berggren & Derakshan, 2013, for a review). Working memory training using the adaptive dual n-back task has shown to improve attentional control in subclinical depression with transfer effects at the behavioral and neural level on a working memory task (Owens, Koster, & Derakshan, 2013). Here, we examined the beneficial effects of working memory training on attentional control in pre-selected high trait anxious individuals who underwent a three week daily training intervention using the adaptive dual n-back task. Pre and post outcome measures of attentional control were assessed using a Flanker task that included a stress induction and an emotional a Antisaccade task (with angry and neutral faces as target). Resting state EEG (theta/beta ratio) was recorded to as a neural marker of trait attentional control. Our results showed that adaptive working memory training improved attentional control with transfer effects on the Flanker task and resting state EEG, but effects of training on the Antisaccade task were less conclusive. Finally, training related gains were associated with lower levels of trait anxiety at post (vs pre) intervention. Our results demonstrate that adaptive working memory training in anxiety can have beneficial effects on attentional control and cognitive performance that may protect against emotional vulnerability in individuals at risk of developing clinical anxiety.

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“…worry and perseveration), which ultimately degrades processing efficiency (Eysenck et al 2007). Therefore, tasks that involve greater attentional discipline also require individuals with higher levels of anxiety to employ more cognitive resources (Wright et al 2014). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Working Memory Impairments in Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: The Roles of Anxiety and Stress Physiology

Sanders

Hobbs

Stephenson

et al. 2017

J Autism Dev Disord

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Stress and anxiety have a negative impact on working memory systems by competing for executive resources and attention. Broad memory deficits, anxiety, and elevated stress have been reported in individuals with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS). We investigated anxiety and physiological stress reactivity in relation to visuospatial working memory impairments in 20 children with 22q11.2DS and 32 typically developing (TD) children ages 7 to 16. Children with 22q11.2DS demonstrated poorer working memory, reduced post-stress respiratory sinus arrhythmia recovery, and overall increased levels of cortisol in comparison to TD children. Anxiety, but not physiological stress responsivity, mediated the relationship between 22q11.2DS diagnosis and visuospatial working memory impairment. Findings indicate that anxiety exacerbates impaired working memory in children with 22q11.2DS.

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Does a high working memory capacity attenuate the negative impact of trait anxiety on attentional control? Evidence from the antisaccade task

Cited by 21 publications

References 32 publications

Foreign language comprehension achievement: insights from the cognate facilitation effect

Foreign language comprehension achievement: insights from the cognate facilitation effect

Training working memory to improve attentional control in anxiety: A proof-of-principle study using behavioral and electrophysiological measures

Working Memory Impairments in Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: The Roles of Anxiety and Stress Physiology

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