Volitional facilitation of difficult intentions: Joint activation of intention memory and positive affect removes Stroop interference.

Julius Kühl; Miguel Kazén

doi:10.1037/0096-3445.128.3.382

Abstract

Removal of Stroop interference was obtained after exposure to words eliciting positive affect. This effect was predicted by personality systems interactions (PSI) theory, which assumes that (a) an abstract (high-level) representation of a difficult intention is generated in intention memory under certain conditions (e.g., when an action plan contains more than 1 step); (b) positive affect releases the inhibition of the pathway between intention memory and its output system. Interference removal is interpreted in terms of volitional facilitation. This effect posits a challenge to current cognitive models of the Stroop effect. Compared with alternative explanations, PSI theory can explain the data in a broader context: Implications of volitional facilitation and volitional inhibition for the study of prospective memory, alienation, procrastination, and rumination in depression are discussed.

Keywords

Stroop effectAffect (linguistics)FacilitationPsychologyInterference (communication)Cognitive psychologySocial psychologyCognitionCommunicationNeuroscienceComputer scienceTelecommunications

Affiliated Institutions

Osnabrück University DE

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Publication Info

Year: 1999
Type: article
Volume: 128
Issue: 3
Pages: 382-399
Citations: 253
Access: Closed

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APA Style

                            
                                    Julius Kühl, 
                                
                                    Miguel Kazén
                                
                            (1999). 
                            Volitional facilitation of difficult intentions: Joint activation of intention memory and positive affect removes Stroop interference.. 
                            Journal of Experimental Psychology General
                            , 128
                            (3)
                            , 382-399.
                            https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-3445.128.3.382

Identifiers

DOI: 10.1037/0096-3445.128.3.382