This article discusses the influence of emotion on conflict processing. The ability to show coherent goal-directed behavior, even in the presence of distraction, requires the detection and resolution of conflict, for ejavascript:void(0);xample between opposing action tendencies. Understanding the influence of emotion on this system is particularly important because they are intrinsically tied to one another in real life (Pessoa, 2008). Recent evidence seems to be contradictory with reports of facilitation and impairment effects of emotion on the processing of conflict. On a conceptual basis both accounts can be supported. It may be argued that keeping up goal-directed behavior is especially difficult in emotional situations because of their greater distracting potential. On the other hand, emotional stimuli are also signals of relevance for a situation that might require particularly efficient cognitive control (Scherer, 1994). The present opinion article aims at elucidating these diverging views by specifying two critical factors—task relevance and individual differences—that result in an enhancing or hindering influence of emotion on the processing of conflict. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)