Changes in Cognitive Performance Due to Three Types of Emotional Tension

The purpose of this study was to investigate how three types of emotional tension levels affect performance of a cognitive task. Ten university male (age 25.7 ±1.5) and ten female (age 24.5 ±1.8) students participated in this experiment. We used a 3-back task as a cognitive task. Using pictures selected from a group test, three types of tension levels, i.e. tensed, neutral, and relaxed emotions, were induced. The experimental design consisted of six phases; Rest 1 (2 min), Picture 1 (presenting emotion tensioning photos for 2 min), 3-back Task 1 (2 min), Picture 2 (presenting emotion tensioning photos for 2 min), 3-back Task 2 (2 min), and Rest 2 (2 min). Galvanic skin response (GSR) was also measured during all phases of the experiment. The accuracy rate of 3-back task performance was the highest at a neutral emotional state, followed by relaxed and then tensed emotional state. Through this study it could be inferred that tension, induced by stimuli unrelated to cognitive tasks, decreases the performance of cognitive tasks.