Factors Influencing Opposing Effects of Emotion on Cognition: A Review of Evidence from Research on Perception and Memory

Abstract

Recent research emphasizes the intimate relationship between emotion and cognition, and shows that emotions can have complex influences on various cognitive processes. The present chapter examines emerging evidence regarding factors that can modulate opposing effects of emotion on visual perception and memory, and the associated neural correlates. First, we introduce evidence regarding enhancing and impairing effects of emotion on visual perception and episodic memory. Then, we discuss evidence regarding the role of specific factors (emotion regulation strategies and individual differences: age and sex) in modulating these opposing effects, and also point to emerging evidence highlighting the roles of other factors (emotional states, personality traits, and clinical status) in these effects. The chapter concludes with a summary emphasizing the need to consider various factors that can influence the opposing effects of emotion on cognition, and identifies new avenues for future investigations. Elucidation of the mechanisms underlying emotion-cognition interactions in healthy functioning has relevance for understanding alterations in emotional disturbances, where these opposing effects of emotion tend to be exacerbated and deleterious.