| When human beings carry on the information to process, there are some problems of information choice.Especially, in the choice of the emotion information, the biased cognitive operation is obvious. Executive function is a main aspect of the cognitive function. Executive function (EF for short) is defined as a complex cognitive process which includes several dynamic, flexible cognitive subcomponents when individuals perform an intent action. It is closely related to many psychoneuroses. To explore the relations between executive function and depression, basing on semiological viewpoint of psychoneuroses, this paper discusses the effects of depression degree (major depression, depression state and healthy control) on three subcomponents of EF, namely effects on inhibition, shifting and updating. This paper employes the definition of EF proposed by Miyake and his research fellows, and the very definition was confirmed by latent variable analysts. The present research will contribute to a better understanding of the mechanism of symptoms of psychoneuroses, as well as the cognitive characteristics and rules of psychoneuroses.The age of the subjects varies from 20 to 27. Major depression subjects were selected from the first subsidiary hospital of xi'an Jiao Tong university .The other subjects were undergraduates. The present study consists of one plot experiment and three target experiments. They were screened by self-reported scale in the plot experiment, grouped under depression state subjects and healthy control subjects. The subjects' subcomponents of EF were measured by three emotional cognitive tasks in three target experiments. In Experiment 1, inhibition of prepotent responses was measured by the anti-cue task, which included two conditions, conflict conditions and consistent conditions (short for C/C), positive emotion and negative emotion(short for P/N). Through statistical analysis,the following findings were achieved. In the conflict conditions, the response time (RT) of individuals with major depression subjects was longer than that of depression state and healthy control subjects;the rate of response error for major depression individual to negative emotion stimulate was lower than that of positive emotion;the main effect of P/N emotion and the interactive effect of C/C×P/N emotion X depression degree on the subjects' RT was significant.;the interactive effect of C/C X P/N was significant. On the rate of response error for individuals, the MANOVAs showed a significant C/C X P/N interaction A for the responses at Bl and B for the responses at A2. In Experiment 2, the mental set shifting was tested by the Number-letter task,in which the cognitive task was performed in four conditions, that is, simple level and difficult level.(short for S/D)n positive and negative emotion.(short for P/N) After analyzing the data, two results were achieved. First, with the difficulty increasing, RT for negative emotion of individuals with major depression and depression state was shorter than healthy control. The rate of response error for major depression and depression state individual to negative emotion stimulate was lower than that of positive emotion. The interaction effect of P/N emotion X S/D was significant. On the rate of response error for individuals, the MANOVAs showed a significant S/D X P/N interaction A for the responses at Bl -> A for the responses at B2 and B for the responses at A2. In Experiment 3, the information updating and monitoring was tested by keep track task that was employed in two conditions, namely, positive and negative task. The result of this experimental data was that the main effect of depression degree is significant, that is, the scores of individuals with major depression and depression state were poorer than that of healthy control in both condition. The main effect of P/N emotion and the interaction effect of P/N emotion X depression degree (B X S) are of no significance. The data of three experiments were no significant correlation each other for whole subjects, However, there was significant correlation between positive and negative emotion within every subcomponent.From the results of three target experiments, six conclusions can be arrived First, different level of depression have different effects on EF .Every subcomponent of EF is deficit with major depression. Inhibition and shifting of depression state individual were significant deficit. Second, inhibition of prepotent responses is deficit in individuals with major depression and depression state, and this subcomponent of EF is impacted by the interaction effect of C/C X P/N. The MANOVAs showed individuals of major depression inclined to the negative emotion stimulate and the biased response occurred in the conflict conditions. It is not significant between depression state and healthy control individuals. Third, mental set shifting is deficit in individuals with major depression and depression state, and this subcomponent of EF is impacted by the strong interactive effect of P/N emotion X S/D. The MANOVAs showed individuals of majordepression and depression state inclined to the negative emotion stimulate and the biased response occurred in the difficult conditions. It is not significant between major depression and depression state individuals. Fourth, information updating and monitoring are deficit in individuals with major depression and depression state. There was no biased response to negative or positive emotion. Fifth, for all subjects, every subcomponent of EF is independent each other. The individuals of depression state were similar to healthy control in inhibition of prepotent responses and were similar to major depression in mental set shifting and information updating and monitoring. The biased response only occurred in inhibition of prepotent responses and mental set shifting and there was no significant between positive and negative emotion in information up-dating and monitorning.
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