Effectiveness of Emotional Working Memory Training on Improving Cognitive Control in individuals with High Trait Anxiety

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of emotional working memory training on improving cognitive control of participants with high trait anxiety symptoms. This study was based on a quasi experimental design pretest& posttest with active control group. 28 students from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad with high scores on trait anxiety, State- Trait Anxiety Inventory were voluntarily selected, according to available sampling. 14 people in both experimental and active control groups were matched and randomly assigned into two groups. To measure cognitive control color-word Stroop test was used. Persian Emotional Working Memory Training was used with the experimental group and Shape Matched Training Task was used with the active control group To analyze the results multivariate analysis of covariance was conducted The results showed a significant difference in cognitive control components (congruent reaction time, incongruent reaction time and interference score) between the two groups. Emotional Working Memory Training can have a positive impact on cognitive control abilities of people with high trait anxiety.