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Mood manipulation and attentional processes : electrophysiological investigations of the affect-cognition interaction
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Evans, Gaynor (2004) Mood manipulation and attentional processes : electrophysiological investigations of the affect-cognition interaction. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.
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Official URL: http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b1779657~S1
Abstract
Although there has been considerable research into the effects of major affective disorders
on perception and cognition, there has been less focus on the influence of everyday
fluctuations in mood on general cognitive skills. Neurocognitive models of affect-cognition
interactions implicate frontal cortical networks and predict that where task control is reliant
on such networks, there will be a greater negative impact of mood change.
The initial study in this thesis compared the effectiveness of 3 standard mood induction
techniques as assessed by a subjective mood assessment instrument. The most effective
changes were only evident with the induction of negative mood, using the Velten Mood
induction technique, which was therefore adopted for subsequent studies.
Three further studies employed a within-subject design, investigating the effect of neutral
and negative mood on 3 tasks selected for a) increasing levels of cognitive demand and
complexity, and b) the increasing involvement of frontal areas of control. Event-related
potentials (ERPs) were measured using a 128 channel dense array system. It was predicted
that mood induction would differentially activate the frontal areas, as measured by
increased negative amplitude in frontal ERPs, lateralised to the left: hemisphere, and be
associated with changes in task performance and the associated ERP 'signature'.
The first task, an 'odd-ball' task, was oflow cognitive demand and associated with centralparietal
control, and showed no disruption at the behavioural or cortical level. The second
task, a standard Stroop task, also showed no behavioural disruption but there were moodrelated
differences in frontal ERPs. Increases in negativity caused the pattern of activity
associated with congruent and incongruent trials to be reversed. The final task, an N-back
working memory task, again showed minimal disruption at the behavioural level, but
significant differences in lateralised frontal activity as a function of mood. Again, increased
negativity within in left: hemisphere led to a reversal of asymmetry during the cognitively
demanding 3-back task.
The data are interpreted in terms of Ellis and Ashbrook's Resource Allocation Model,
which predicts that depressed moods lead to a reduction in the capacity of resources
allocated to the control of cognitive tasks. It is concluded that the maintenance of
performance is associated with increased allocation of cortical resources.
Item Type: | Thesis (PhD) | ||||
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Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology | ||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Affective disorders, Cognition, Behavioral assessment, Depression, Mental | ||||
Official Date: | March 2004 | ||||
Dates: |
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Institution: | University of Warwick | ||||
Theses Department: | Department of Psychology | ||||
Thesis Type: | PhD | ||||
Publication Status: | Unpublished | ||||
Supervisor(s)/Advisor: | Rippon, Gina | ||||
Extent: | xxi, 335 leaves : illustrations | ||||
Language: | eng |
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