Loading working memory interferes with afffect incongruent movements.

It is proposed in many emotion theories that action tendencies are core processes of emotion. In different empirical studies stronger influences of affect were obtained with decreased than with full conscious awareness. In this study action tendencies were investigated as a function of conscious awareness that was varied with a manipulation of attention (see Merikle & Joordens, 1997). With divided attention (i.e., working memory load) it was more difficult for participants to withdraw from their affect congruent action tendencies than with focused attention, as was demonstrated, specifically, in their execution (i.e., movement time) of affect specific movement. These results support, therefore, the theoretical notion that influences of affect can be stronger with decreased than with full conscious awareness.