A neuropsychological theory of positive affect and its influence on cognition

Positive affect systematically influences performance on many cognitive tas ks. A new neuropsychological theory is proposed that accounts for many of t hese effects by assuming that positive affect is associated with increased brain dopamine levels. The theory predicts or accounts for influences of po sitive affect on olfaction, the consolidation of long-term (i.e., episodic) memories, working memory, and creative problem solving. For example, the t heory assumes that creative problem solving is improved, in part, because i ncreased dopamine release in the anterior cingulate improves cognitive flex ibility and facilitates the selection of cognitive perspective.