Evidence of impaired proactive control under positive affect

• Published in: Neuropsychologia 2018-06, Vol.114, p.110-117
• Main Authors: Chaillou, Anne-Clémence, Giersch, Anne, Hoonakker, Marc, Capa, Rémi L., Doignon-Camus, Nadège, Pham, Bich-Thuy, Bonnefond, Anne
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cognitive control; Cognitive science; Dual mechanisms of control; Emotion; ERP; Psychology; Tonic/phasic effects
• ISSN: 0028-3932; 1873-3514
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.04.021

If it can be assumed that positive affect modulates cognitive control, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The main aim of this study was to investigate how positive affect influences proactive and reactive modes of control and to explore the temporal dynamic of this influence, in terms of its transient and/or sustained effects. We used the AX-continuous performance task, combined with event-related potentials (ERP) recording. The results showed that positive affect impaired proactive control. More specifically, response preparation was weaker, as highlighted by a decreased contingent negative variation (CNV), prior to the target. As a consequence, conflict detection, as reflected by the N2 component, was decreased under positive affect. The P3a, associated with conflict resolution, remained unaffected by positive emotion, suggesting a lack of reactive control modulation. These effects were diffuse and did not appear on a transient timescale, highlighting the importance of positive emotion's time course for how it influences cognitive control processes. •Positive affect impaired proactive control on a tonic manner.•Reactive control was not modulated by positive affect.•No phasic influence of positive affect on cognitive control was shown.