Objective: This study investigated the effect of trait anxiety on tasks tapping the phonological and visuo-spatial components of working memory. It was designed to test Eysenck and Calvo,s processing efficiency theory (PET) which suggests that the phonological and executive components of WM may be important in understanding the relationship between performance and anxiety. Method: A sample of first year college students (n=160) completed the trait measure of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety. After scoring 24 subject belonging to the ./25 of upper distribution and 24 subjects from the ./25 0f lower distribution were selected. Both group exposure to self-threat instruction and based on tasks presentation (visual-verbal/verbal-visual) randomly assigned to four group. They performed two WM tasks. Measurement of accurate responses were taken as an indicator of performance outcome or effectiveness. Time taken to complete tasks and a subjective rating of mental effort were taken as measurements of processing efficiency. Data were analyzed using two way ANOVA. Results: Analyses explored the effect of trait anxiety on time, effort mental, and accurate responses in verbal task and effect of anxiety on time in visuals task. There was only significant interaction effect of trait anxiety and sequence of tasks presentation on time in visuals task. Conclusion: the results suggested that anxiety reduced performance and processing efficiency in verbal task rather than visual task. Processing efficiency was lower when the high anxiety group performed the visual task as second task.
Moradi, A., Cheraghi, F., & Farahani, M. (2008). The Effect of Anxiety and Tasks Presentation Manner on Processing Efficiency and Performance of Components of Working Memory. Journal of Modern Psychological Researches, 3(11), 77-98.
MLA
Alireza Moradi; Fereshteh Cheraghi; Mohammadtaghi Farahani. "The Effect of Anxiety and Tasks Presentation Manner on Processing Efficiency and Performance of Components of Working Memory". Journal of Modern Psychological Researches, 3, 11, 2008, 77-98.
HARVARD
Moradi, A., Cheraghi, F., Farahani, M. (2008). 'The Effect of Anxiety and Tasks Presentation Manner on Processing Efficiency and Performance of Components of Working Memory', Journal of Modern Psychological Researches, 3(11), pp. 77-98.
VANCOUVER
Moradi, A., Cheraghi, F., Farahani, M. The Effect of Anxiety and Tasks Presentation Manner on Processing Efficiency and Performance of Components of Working Memory. Journal of Modern Psychological Researches, 2008; 3(11): 77-98.
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