Naslov
The effect of working memory on (non)emotionally framed deductive reasoning

Autori
Hadžiahmetović, Nina ; Đokić, Ratko ; Opačić, Goran ; Teovanović, Predrag ; Kolenović-Đapo, Jadranka

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Savremeni trendovi u psihologiji/Current trends in psychology - Knjiga sažetaka/Book of abstracts / - Novi Sad : Filozofski fakultet Univerziteta u Novom Sadu, 2017, 95-96

ISBN
978-86-6065-434-4

Skup
Savremeni trendovi u psihologiji/Current trends in psychology

Mjesto i datum
Novi Sad, Srbija, 19.10.2017. - 21.10.2017

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
working memory ; deductive reasoning ; emotional content ; mediation

Sažetak
The aim of the research was to assess the effect of working memory on deductive reasoning framed with non-emotional and emotional content. Working memory was assumed to have indirect effect on non-emotional reasoning through general ability. On the contrary, the effect of working memory on emotional reasoning was expected to remain significant after controlling for intelligence. Two separate studies were conducted. The first study included N = 233 psychology students. The average age of participants was 20.6 years (SD = 2.15). Working memory was measured as the standardized mean total of the three span tasks (operation, reading, and symmetry task). Advanced Raven Progressive Matrices were used to assess general ability. Deductive reasoning was assessed through 10 tasks of four types: modus ponens, modus tollens, affirming the consequent, and denying the antecedent. All measures had acceptable reliabilities (Cronbach's alpha range .65 - .82). There was a significant indirect effect of working memory on deductive reasoning through intelligence ab = .20, BCa CI = [.05, .37]. Working memory was positively correlated with intelligence, which in turn positively predicted disengagement of task content from general rules in reasoning on non-emotional content. The prior effect of WM on reasoning became nonsignificant (b = .17, p = .33). General ability accounted for more than a half of the total effect, PM = .53. The second study was of the preliminary kind and included 70 psychology students (approx. age 24 years). The same working memory and general ability tests were administered as in previous study. In addition to that, specially designed tasks were used to assess reasoning on emotionally framed content. These tasks contained emotional content from the HEXACO-PI-R Emotionality scale converted into premises and conclusion. Unlike the previous study, only 15 modus ponens tasks were used (Cronbach's alpha .85), since working memory significantly correlated with their total score (r = .27, p < .05). The HEXACO Emotionality scale was also included as a control variable, but its effect was nonsignificant. As hypothesized, working memory did not have a significant indirect effect on reasoning on emotional content through general ability, ab = .02, BCa CI = [.00, .05]. General ability accounted for about a quarter of the total effect, PM = .26. Besides, the direct effect of working memory on emotionally framed reasoning, though small, remained significant (b = .04, p = .038). Deductive reasoning seems to be dependent on general ability. In contrast, deduction on emotionally framed content appears to require working memory as an asset. Working memory is considered to prevent emotional content from interfering with proper reasoning in keeping with the theory of executive processing based on inhibitory control. All analyses should be replicated on one sample in the future studies.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Psihologija

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