The effect of cognitive load on WM performance.
The data were analyzed by a 3 × 3 repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) to explore the effects of distraction (control, low, high) and emotional faces (neutral, happy, sad) on WM span.
The results indicated that the WM performance was significantly affected by the cognitive load, F (1.64, 44.38) = 58.54, p< .001. Bonferroni post hoc tests revealed that the WM performance was significantly poorer for the high level of distraction (M = 57.9, SD = 4.3) compared to the control level of distraction (M = 85.6, SD = 2.25, p< .001), but not for the control level with the low level of distraction (M = 80.6, SD = 3.13, p = .055,p > .05).
The effect of emotional faces on WM performance. Because the Mauchly’s test indicated that the assumption of sphericity had been violated, χ2 (2) = 7.64, p<.05, hence degrees of freedom were corrected using Huynh-Feldt estimates of sphericity (ɛ =.84). This results indicated that WM performance was unaffected by the emotional faces, F(1.68, 45.31) = .262, p = .732. Mauchly’s test indicated that the sphericity has assumed, χ2 (9) = 5.09, p = .827. The cognitive load × emotional faces effect was non-significant, F (4, 108) = .342, p = .849, p > .05.