The Role of Emotional Working Memory in Improving Behavioral Inhibition and Cognitive Emotion Regulation in Students with High Academic Anxiety

Objective: this study explores the effect of Emotional Working Memory (eWM) training on behavioral inhibition and cognitive emotion regulation among students who suffer from high academic anxiety. Method: The statistical population included all the ۱۰th grade students living in Kerman during ۲۰۱۹-۲۰۲۰ academic year. Using random multistage cluster sampling, up to ۳۸۴ students were selected from two urban zones and were required to complete the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) (Spielberger). Of this sample, ۶۳ students achieved above-average anxiety scores and, ۲۷ students (۱۵ girls and ۱۲ boys) were finally selected and divided into experimental and active control groups. Both groups were required to answer the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and Go/No-go task in three stages (pretest, posttest, and follow-up). Findings: The results of this study indicate a significant difference in terms of behavioral inhibition based on the performance of the two experimental and control groups in the Go/No-go task. The individuals in the experimental group performed better. However, this difference was not observed in other components of the Go/No-go task in the follow-up stage. In case of cognitive emotion regulation, the results showed that the two groups differed significantly in adaptive cognitive emotion regulation only during the posttest and follow-up stages where the experimental group outperformed the other group. With respect to maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation, no significant difference was found between the two groups. In addition, the results regarding the impact of eWM training on anxiety showed that anxiety and its components (worry and emotionality) are significantly different between the groups as the experimental group experienced less anxiety, worry and emotionality. Conclusion: A working memory training program can help improve cognitive emotion regulation, behavioral inhibition and reduce anxiety symptoms in students with academic anxiety.

کلیدواژه ها:

Emotional Working Memory ، Behavioral Inhibition ، Cognitive Emotion Regulation ، Academic Anxiety