The Relation between Stress and Threat-Related Attentional  Bias: The Moderating Effect of Attentional Control on the Association between Stress and  Attentional bias to High and Mild Threats

Background: Threat-related attentional bias is a dynamic process, determined by internal and external factors. Individual differences in attentional control, a core function of the executive system, is thought to modulate the expression of attentional bias. Attentional bias is also influenced by the threat level of a stimulus (mild and high). The effect of stress on attentional bias in relation to attentional control and threat level shows considerable heterogeneity. Aims and hypotheses: Investigate the association between attentional bias to different threat levels, stress and attentional control. Stress increases attentional bias towards all threats compared to the control condition. Attentional control moderates the effect of stress on attentional bias towards mild and high threats. Method: Sixty-four female participants completed a self-report attentional control measure, underwent a stress-induction (n = 32) or control (n = 32) procedure and completed the modified dot-probe...Show moreBackground: Threat-related attentional bias is a dynamic process, determined by internal and external factors. Individual differences in attentional control, a core function of the executive system, is thought to modulate the expression of attentional bias. Attentional bias is also influenced by the threat level of a stimulus (mild and high). The effect of stress on attentional bias in relation to attentional control and threat level shows considerable heterogeneity. Aims and hypotheses: Investigate the association between attentional bias to different threat levels, stress and attentional control. Stress increases attentional bias towards all threats compared to the control condition. Attentional control moderates the effect of stress on attentional bias towards mild and high threats. Method: Sixty-four female participants completed a self-report attentional control measure, underwent a stress-induction (n = 32) or control (n = 32) procedure and completed the modified dot-probe task. Results: Attentional bias to high and mild threats was not affected by stress. Importantly, attentional control moderated the relation between stress and attentional bias to high threats. High attentional control was associated with an attentional bias towards high threats in the stress condition while high attentional control predicted an attentional bias away from high threats in the control condition on a trend level. This moderation effect was not shown for the association between stress and attentional bias to mild threats. Discussion: This study provides evidence that attentional control plays an important role in the manifestation of attentional bias to high threats in stressful and controlled situations in healthy individuals.Show less

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The Relation between Stress and Threat-Related Attentional Bias: The Moderating Effect of Attentional Control on the Association between Stress and Attentional bias to High and Mild Threats