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Goal theory posits the function of emotions as the operation of a signaling system that draws attention to self relevant information. At the same time, a state of "action readiness" is generated to maximize behavior towards successful goal achievement (Oatley, 1992). The idea of emotional inhibition is illogical, therefore, since to inhibit the signals that guide behavior to optimize situations in favor of the self would be counter-productive. On-going experiments investigating emotional inhibition to external stimuli in a student population using the International Affective Picture System (IAPS), indicate that responses to negative stimuli result in the recollection of more highly explicit memories under normal conditions, and less highly explicit memories when working memory resources are reduced; i.e. fewer pictures are actively remembered than pictures that produce feelings of familiarity, despite little difference in the total percentages of pictures recalled. A three-way interaction between picture type, working memory load and level of recall (F4,76 = 2.509 p < 0.05) indicates that demands made on working memory at the time of encoding may affect the level of processing, conscious awareness of particularly negative emotional memories and hence, also, emotional control. Whilst activation of explicit memories can be managed by executively controlled inhibitory processes (Racsmany & Conway, 2006), memories with little conscious content are triggered by associations outside conscious control. If conditions prevent traumatic events from being fully processed when first experienced, then uncontrollable panic may well be triggered by later associations. It is suggested, that the use of a cognitive approach to understand panic attacks does much to ‘normalize’ explanations of anxiety and may reduce the use of labels such as "mentally ill." Reference: Oatley, Keith (1992) Best laid schemes: the psychology of emotions, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Racsmany, M. & Conway, M.A. (2006) Episodic Inhibition Journal of Experimental Psychology:LMC 32, 44-57.
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