Leiden University Student Repository

Roetman, Peter J. (2013)

Attentional Bias Towards Reading-Related Stimuli in an Undergraduate Sample

Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)

This study examines the presence of an attentional bias in the attentional processing of reading related pictures and words. On the basis of an online rating of reading-related pictures and words a sample of 54 undergraduate students was selected. Individuals with high ratings were assigned to a reading enthusiast group, while individuals with low ratings to a reading reluctant group. Attentional bias was examined with the dot-probe and emotional Stroop paradigms. The dot-probe task showed an attentional bias towards reading pictures, that is faster responses to reading-related than to neutral pictures, at a stimulus onset asynchrony of 1500 msec.. This bias was found in both reading reluctant and reading enthusiast individuals. An additional bias towards reading words was found in the reading enthusiast group. Attentional bias scores towards pictures representing reading were positively related to social motivation to read books, indicating that the more an individual was socially...Show moreThis study examines the presence of an attentional bias in the attentional processing of reading related pictures and words. On the basis of an online rating of reading-related pictures and words a sample of 54 undergraduate students was selected. Individuals with high ratings were assigned to a reading enthusiast group, while individuals with low ratings to a reading reluctant group. Attentional bias was examined with the dot-probe and emotional Stroop paradigms. The dot-probe task showed an attentional bias towards reading pictures, that is faster responses to reading-related than to neutral pictures, at a stimulus onset asynchrony of 1500 msec.. This bias was found in both reading reluctant and reading enthusiast individuals. An additional bias towards reading words was found in the reading enthusiast group. Attentional bias scores towards pictures representing reading were positively related to social motivation to read books, indicating that the more an individual was socially motivated to read books, the faster attention was directed towards reading pictures compared to matched neutral pictures. This suggests that the attentional bias (responding faster to reading-related pictures in the dot-probe task) is an indication of individual’s eagerness to read. However, no other association were found between other measures of reading behaviour and reading ability (vocabulary learning, spelling). Future research including other groups than undergraduates might provide stronger links between a reading-related attentional bias and reading motivation.Show less

attentional bias

dot-probe task

reading motivation

emotional stroop task

undergraduate students

Author

Roetman, Peter J.

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Specialisation

Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (Research)

Supervisors

Bus, A.G.

ECTS Credits

45

Language

en