Effects of positive affect and positive emotions on executive functions: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

Positive emotions (PEs) impact cognitive processes, including executive functions (EFs; i.e. inhibition, working memory, cognitive flexibility). However, previous reviews and meta-analyses report contradicting results. Thus, this review takes a novel approach to overcome conflicting findings by clearly conceptualising PE induction and by providing a detailed description of the tasks used to assess EFs, as well as by exclusively focusing on EFs. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis was performed. Study inclusion criteria required that subjects were healthy individuals over 18 years, PEs were induced in a controlled laboratory setting, a baseline measurement and a control condition was required, and finally, EFs were measured as a dependent variable using valid measurement instruments. The literature search was performed on PRIMUS, including relevant databases such as ERIC, MEDLINE, Psych ARTICLES, Psych INFO or SocINDEX. From a total of 6,661 identified articles, only 13, which featured 20 experimental studies, were included. Results show that the overall induction of PEs successfully caused an increase in valence and/or positive emotions. However, no significant effects of PE on EFs were detected (d  =  −0.051, p  =  .405). Reasons and future research will be discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Happiness
• joy
• positive mood
• positive affect
• cognition

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Gantima Demirsöz and the entire Sport Psychology group at the Institute of Sport Science at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin for valuable and constructive suggestions on the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Participants were provided four categories: Vehicle (bus, airplane, camel), vegetable (carrot, potato, garlic), clothes (skirt, shoes, handbag), and furniture (couch, lamp, telephone). Each example in each category is either strongly prototypical, moderately prototypical, or weakly prototypical. “Cognitive flexibility usually shows up in prototypicality ratings for the weak exemplars more than in ratings for the moderate or strong exemplars.” (*De Dreu et al., 2008, p. 745) For further details see also Rosch (1975).

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.