ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the different effect of negative emotion induced by background music on verbal and spatial working memory. Methods Fifteen participants were exposed in relaxing or horrible background music and did the working memory task. After each emotional condition, the 9-point Self Assessment Manikin scale was registered. n-back paradigm was employed as WM task and the WM task contained two different types, the verbal WM and spatial WM. In the same time,The ERPs during each emotional condition was recorded,and the anterior LPC and posterior P300 were analyzed. Results The valence,arousal and dominance were 5.40±0.91,3.93 ±0.79 and 5.33 ± 1.29 in relaxing condition,while the same dimensionalities in negative condition were 2.00 ± 0.75,6.47 ± 0.99 and 2.33 ± 0.89. The self reported data showed that horrible background music induced the negative emotional state, which were observed from the decrease of valence (t(14)= 15. 902, P ＜0.01) and dominance (t(14) =6.708, P＜0.01) while the increase of arousal (t (14)=9.906, P＜0.01). The ERP data showed,there was a main effect in emotion with anterior LPC (F (1.14)= 7.37, P ＜ 0.01) and in both verbal and spatial WM,the amplitude of LPC were reduced in negative emotional condition. However, there was an interaction of emotion and type on amplitude of P300 (F (1.14)= 11.25, P ＜ 0.01), selective influence of negative emotion in spatial WM were seen (F (1.14)= 12.43, P＜0.01). Conclusion The WM was influenced by negative emotion induced by negative background music ,and the spatial WM was more vulnerable to negative emotion.