Individual Differences in the Dynamic Upregulation of Cognitive Control

Cognitive control can fluctuate on a moment-by-moment basis. The dynamic upregulation of cognitive control occurs as a result of increases in task demand including higher mnemonic load and affective interference (Witkins, Zanesco, Denkova & Jha, 2020). Specifically, performance on trials following high load or negative interference trials is improved. The impact of individual differences in depression symptomology, dispositional mindfulness, trait anxiety, or affect on these upregulation effects remains unknown. The current study examines the impact of these factors on upregulation effects cued by mnemonic load and affective interference in a delayed recognition working memory task. The results replicate prior findings indicating better performance following trials with high mnemonic load or negatively valenced affective interference. Dispositional mindfulness, positive and negative affect moderated the upregulation effects, but no effect was observed from Depression symptomatology or trait anxiety. When examining dynamic upregulation, it is important to consider some individual difference factors.