Role of working memory load on selective attention to affectively valent information (original) (raw)

This research investigates how working memory load affects selective attention to affectively valent information, contrasting it with previous findings related to neutral stimuli. Conducted through three experiments utilizing the Flanker task, the results revealed that while known faces produced greater interference under high working memory load, the processing of emotive distractors was constant, regardless of memory load. These findings suggest that automatic evaluation of affectively valent information operates independently of working memory load and task priorities.