(PS9-62) Day-to-day Fluctuations in Negative Affect Are Associated with Cognitive Performance in a College Student Sample

Abstract Text:

Background: Anxiety and mood disorders, characterized by elevated negative affect (NA) and cognitive impairments, are highly prevalent among college students. Within-person NA variability, which captures moment-to-moment fluctuations in affect, provides unique insights into emotional processes that are not reflected in mean NA levels. Cognitive variability, particularly reaction time (RT) inconsistency, is increasingly recognized as a sensitive marker of cognitive health and functional integrity. Although prior research links NA to cognitive variability, the short-term dynamics of these associations in naturalistic settings remain understudied. College students provide an ideal population for examining these dynamics using ecological momentary assessment (EMA).

Objectives: This study investigated the association between within-person NA and reaction time (RT) inconsistency, hypothesizing that higher within-person fluctuations in NA would predict increased RT inconsistency. We also examined the moderating roles of practice effects and covariates, including neuroticism, insomnia, and sex.

Methods: Using EMA, 99 university students completed morning and evening assessments over 14 days, including a cognitive task measuring RT inconsistency (standard deviation in trial-level RT) and self-reported NA. Multilevel modeling was employed to assess within-person fluctuations in NA and their impact on RT inconsistency, accounting for time (session number), between-person differences in NA, and covariates such as sleep problems, neuroticism, age, and sex.

Results: Within-person fluctuations in NA significantly predicted increased RT inconsistency (β = 4.37, 95% CI = 2.10–6.65, P<.001), supporting the hypothesis that NA variability disrupts cognitive performance. Females exhibited significantly greater RT inconsistency compared to males (β = -39.48, 95% CI = -78.23–-0.74, P =.046), and session number was inversely associated with RT inconsistency (β = -2.48, 95% CI = -4.09–-0.87, P=.003), indicating potential practice effects.

Conclusions: Momentary fluctuations in NA influence cognitive variability, particularly in the early stages of repeated cognitive tasks, underscoring the role of emotional processes in cognitive performance. Practice effects and individual differences, such as sex and insomnia, influence these associations. Using EMA, our findings provide new insights into cognitive–affective dynamics and suggest that addressing NA may serve as a potential intervention target for enhancing cognitive functioning in vulnerable populations, such as college students. While the current study used male and female groups due to sample size limitations, future research will expand to include individuals from gender minority groups and individuals across the lifespan.