Schedule of Events | Symposia

Using electroencephalography to determine the relationship between emotional regulation and executive attention

Poster Session A - Saturday, March 29, 2025, 3:00 – 5:00 pm EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Dara Olopade¹, Kristie Stephens, Karlie Souder, Sinead Mukolo-Villegas, Aram Akbari, Emma Chacon, Emily Stripling, Michael Oliver; ¹Belmont University

Executive attention is defined as the ability to control the stimuli we pay attention to by discriminating between targets and distractors. Difficulties with working memory and attention are related to slower information processing and greatly affects functioning in society. Emotional regulation is a large factor in lack of attentional focus. These problems may also be associated with exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACES), as individuals try to cope with the emotional toll of traumatic life events. However, research is limited regarding an understanding of the relationship between executive attention and emotional regulation in relation to one’s childhood experiences. In the study, participants were asked to complete the Attention Networking Task (ANT) while measuring electroencephalography (EEG). Then participants completed both the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) and ACEs Questionnaire to assess if experiences in childhood may have affected their levels of emotional regulation in adulthood. It was hypothesized that the relationship between emotional regulation and executive attention would be moderated by ACEs. While number of ACEs was not associated with the relationship between emotional regulation and executive attention, it was found that the relationship between the two variables differed as a function of the presence of ACEs. There was a significant correlation between emotional regulation and executive attention when at least one ACE is reported, whereas no significant relationship was observed when no ACEs were reported. These findings aid in our understanding of the relationship between frontal-mediated cognitive abilities and the effect of developmental trauma from both a behavioral and electrophysiological standpoint.

Topic Area: EXECUTIVE PROCESSES: Other