Neither State or Trait Anxiety Alter the Response to Distracting Emotionally Neutral Sounds

2015 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Hoskin ◽  
Mike D. Hunter ◽  
Peter W. R. Woodruff
Keyword(s):  
Control Theory ◽  
Trait Anxiety ◽  
State Anxiety ◽  
Attentional Control ◽  
Emotional State ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Ongoing Debate ◽  
Attentional Control Theory ◽  
Audiovisual Stimuli ◽  
The Impact

Attentional control theory suggests that heightened anxiety, whether due to trait or state factors, causes an increased vulnerability to distraction even when the distracters are emotionally neutral. Recent passive oddball studies appear to support this theory in relation to the distraction caused by emotionally neutral sounds. However such studies have manipulated emotional state via the content of task stimuli, thus potentially confounding changes in emotion with differences in task demands. To identify the effect of anxiety on the distraction caused by emotionally neutral sounds, 50 participants completed a passive oddball task requiring emotionally neutral sounds to be ignored. Crucially, state anxiety was manipulated independent of the task stimuli (via unrelated audiovisual stimuli) thus removing confounds relating to task demands. Neither state or trait anxiety was found to influence the susceptibility to distraction by emotionally neutral sounds. These findings contribute to the ongoing debate concerning the impact of emotion on attention.

Working Memory, Test Anxiety and Effective Interventions: A Review

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony Mowbray
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Control Theory ◽  
Test Anxiety ◽  
Attentional Control ◽  
Cognitive Component ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Emotional Component ◽  
Attentional Control Theory ◽  
Cognitive Therapies ◽  
The Impact

Test anxiety (TA) affects exam performance and has been found to be composed of a cognitive (worry) and emotional component. The cognitive component has been implicated in the performance decrements seen in individuals with high TA; however, interventions involving cognitive therapies have provided mixed and limited outcomes with regard to improvement in performance. This article explores TA in relation to attentional control theory, which provides a framework for the impact of anxiety on working memory and cognitive performance. Possible interventions for the treatment of TA guided by attentional control theory will then be discussed and the need for further research to explore the efficacy of these interventions established.

Post-event processing in social anxiety: Investigation using Attentional Control Theory

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 247-267
Author(s):  
Rachel A. Sluis ◽  
◽  
Mark J. Boschen ◽  
David L. Neumann ◽  
Karen Murphy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Control Theory ◽  
Attentional Control ◽  
Event Processing ◽  
Attentional Control Theory

Anxiety, Processing Efficiency, and Cognitive Performance

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazanin Derakshan ◽  
Michael W. Eysenck
Keyword(s):  
Control Theory ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Attentional Control ◽  
Processing Efficiency ◽  
Performance Effectiveness ◽  
Theoretical Predictions ◽  
Attentional Control Theory ◽  
Efficiency Theory ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Switching Attention

There have been many attempts to account theoretically for the effects of anxiety on cognitive performance. This article focuses on two theories based on insights from cognitive psychology. The more recent is the attentional control theory ( Eysenck, Derakshan, Santos, & Calvo, 2007 ), which developed from the earlier processing efficiency theory ( Eysenck & Calvo, 1992 ). Both theories assume there is a fundamental distinction between performance effectiveness (quality of performance) and processing efficiency (the relationship between performance effectiveness and use of processing resources), and that anxiety impairs processing efficiency more than performance effectiveness. Both theories also assume that anxiety impairs the efficiency of the central executive component of the working memory system. In addition, attentional control theory assumes that anxiety impairs the efficiency of two types of attentional control: (1) negative attentional control (involved in inhibiting attention to task-irrelevant stimuli); and (2) positive attentional control (involved in flexibly switching attention between and within tasks to maximize performance). Recent (including unpublished) research relevant to theoretical predictions from attentional control theory is discussed. In addition, future directions for theory and research in the area of anxiety and performance are presented.

scholarly journals COVID-19 pandemic-related anxiety, distress and burnout: prevalence and associated factors in healthcare workers of North-West Italy

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Naldi ◽  
Fabrizio Vallelonga ◽  
Alessandra Di Liberto ◽  
Roberto Cavallo ◽  
Monica Agnesone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trait Anxiety ◽  
State Anxiety ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Maslach Burnout Inventory ◽  
Work Characteristics ◽  
Psychological Outcome ◽  
North West ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Family And Work ◽  
The Impact

Background The COVID-19 pandemic caused drastic changes in healthcare and severe social restrictions. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are on the front line against the virus and have been highly exposed to pandemic-related stressors, but there are limited data on their psychological involvement for a large sample in Italy. Aims To investigate the prevalence of anxiety, distress and burnout in HCWs of North-West Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to detect potential psychosocial factors associated with their emotional response. Method This cross-sectional, survey-based study enrolled 797 HCWs. Participants completed the Impact of Event Scale – Revised, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory – Form Y and the Maslach Burnout Inventory; demographic, family and work characteristics were also collected. Global psychological outcome, differences among professions and independent factors associated with worst psychological outcome were assessed. Results Almost a third of the sample had severe state anxiety and distress, high emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation, and low personal accomplishment. Distress was higher in women and nurses, whereas depersonalisation was higher in men. Family division, increased workload, job changes and frequent contact with COVID-19 were associated with worst psychological outcome. Trait anxiety was associated with significantly higher risk for developing state anxiety, distress and burnout. Conclusions An elevated psychological burden related to the COVID-19 pandemic was observed in HCWs of North-West Italy. The identification of family and work characteristics and a psychological pre-existing condition as factors associated with worst psychological outcome may help provide a tailored, preventive, organisational and psychological approach in counteracting the psychological effects of future pandemics.

scholarly journals Anxiety, anticipation and contextual information: A test of attentional control theory

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 1037-1048 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam J. Cocks ◽  
Robin C. Jackson ◽  
Daniel T. Bishop ◽  
A. Mark Williams
Keyword(s):  
Control Theory ◽  
Attentional Control ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
Attentional Control Theory

Examining the effects of musical type and intensity in performing the flanker task: A test of attentional control theory applied to non-emotional distractions

2020 ◽  
pp. 030573562092259
Author(s):  
Michael D Oliver ◽  
Jacob J Levy ◽  
Debora R Baldwin
Keyword(s):  
Control Theory ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Attentional Control ◽  
Flanker Task ◽  
Sound Intensity ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Processing Efficiency ◽  
Attentional Control Theory ◽  
And Performance

Music alters the interplay between components of cognition and performance; however, there are inconclusive findings on how. One explanation may be Attentional Control Theory, which states that anxiety places demands on cognitive resources producing adverse effects on cognitive performance. Similarly, characteristics of music alter cognitive faculties resulting in poor performance. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate effects on cognition specific to influences of music through the lens of Attentional Control Theory. In an attempt to explain how music impacts cognitive performance, we asked 141 college students (63.1% female) to complete the flanker task while listening to either lyrical or non-lyrical music at differing sound intensities. Results revealed a significant main effect of music type on flanker performance; however, no significant differences emerged with sound intensity. Findings suggest music with lyrics, rather than intensity, impairs cognition in adults, thereby elucidating the importance of avoiding music with lyrics during active tasks. Moreover, musical lyrics worsen performance by either interfering with selective attention processing of goal-relevant information or altering working memory capacity resulting in decreases in processing efficiency and performance effectiveness. Therefore, findings support the use of attentional control theory as a means of explaining differences in cognitive performance due to characteristics of music.

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