}

Research output:Contribution to Journal ›Article ›Academic ›peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Clearing the Mind: A Working Memory Model of Distraction from Negative Mood

AU - van Dillen, L.F.

AU - Koole, S.L.

PY - 2007

Y1 - 2007

N2 - The present research examined whether and how loading working memory can attenuate negative mood. In three experiments, participants were exposed to neutral, weakly negative, or strongly negative pictures followed by a task and a mood scale. Working memory demands were varied by manipulating task presence (Study 1), complexity (Study 2), and predictability (Study 3). Participants in all three experiments reported less negative moods in negative trials with high compared to low working memory demand. Working memory demands did not affect mood in the neutral trials. When working memory demands were high, participants no longer reported more negative moods in response to strongly negative pictures than to weakly negative pictures. These findings suggest that loading working memory prevents mood-congruent processing, and thereby promotes distraction from negative moods. © 2007 American Psychological Association.

AB - The present research examined whether and how loading working memory can attenuate negative mood. In three experiments, participants were exposed to neutral, weakly negative, or strongly negative pictures followed by a task and a mood scale. Working memory demands were varied by manipulating task presence (Study 1), complexity (Study 2), and predictability (Study 3). Participants in all three experiments reported less negative moods in negative trials with high compared to low working memory demand. Working memory demands did not affect mood in the neutral trials. When working memory demands were high, participants no longer reported more negative moods in response to strongly negative pictures than to weakly negative pictures. These findings suggest that loading working memory prevents mood-congruent processing, and thereby promotes distraction from negative moods. © 2007 American Psychological Association.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/38149138765

UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=38149138765&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1037/1528-3542.7.4.715

DO - 10.1037/1528-3542.7.4.715

M3 - Article

SN - 1528-3542

VL - 7

SP - 715

EP - 723

JO - Emotion

JF - Emotion

IS - 4

ER -