Using emotional cues in a discrimination learning task: Effects of trait emotional intelligence and affective state

Individuals may differ in their ability to learn the significance of emotional cues within a specific context. If so, trait emotional intelligence (EI) may be associated with faster cue learning. This study (N = 180) tested whether trait EI predicts faster learning of a critical cue for discriminating “terrorists” from “non-terrorists”, using virtual-reality heads as stimuli. The critical cue was either facial emotion (positive or negative), or a neutral feature (hat size). Cognitive ability and subjective state were also assessed. Participants were faster to learn with an emotive cue. Surprisingly, high trait EI was correlated with poorer performance, especially early in learning. Subjective distress was also associated with impaired learning to emotive cues.

► The study shows consistent individual differences in a task requiring discrimination learning using emotive cues.
► Trait EI factors, especially attention to emotion, appear to be detrimental to performance, contrary to expectation.
► Subjective distress is associated with impaired learning when cues are emotive.
► Performance on discrimination learning tasks may reflect separate attentional and implicit learning mechanisms.