Short-term effects of activating cognitive control processes on emotional interference: an experimental study

Objective: Cognitive control is crucial for effective emotion regulation. While much research relies on self-report measures, experimental studies may provide deeper insights. This study investigates whether engaging cognitive control reduces emotional interference as an automatic regulatory mechanism.Methods: In this preregistered experiment, 80 participants completed tasks varying in cognitive control demands: a *Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test* (PASAT) and a speed-of-response task. Emotional interference was measured by changes in reaction time to emotional images during a simple discrimination task. Self-report data on rumination, emotion regulation difficulties, and distress were collected to explore moderating effects.Results: Negative emotional stimuli increased reaction times, indicating emotional interference. However, the degree of interference did not vary with cognitive control demand, nor did self-report measures moderate this relationship. The same pattern emerged when analyzing arousal instead of emotional valence.Conclusion: Unlike previous findings, our results suggest that the impact of cognitive control on emotional interference may be smaller and context-dependent. Factors such as emotion regulation difficulties, specific cognitive control processes, activation levels, and sensory modality might influence outcomes. Effects of cognitive control training may not stem from short-term reductions in emotional interference. These findings highlight the need for careful experimental designs and statistical approaches.