The presented study targets the interplay of stress exposure and attentional responses towards threats in connection to trait anxiety. Previous research suggests that an underlying change in threat...Show moreThe presented study targets the interplay of stress exposure and attentional responses towards threats in connection to trait anxiety. Previous research suggests that an underlying change in threat-appraisal (indicated through higher trait anxiety scores) might significantly alter the attentional response of individuals when exposed to stress. Instead of displaying an attentional bias towards mild threats, it was hypothesised that the higher the score in trait anxiety assessment, the greater the avoidance behaviour. This project included 64 female students of Leiden University and assessed trait anxiety via Spielberger’s State-Trait-Anxiety-Inventory. Stress (psychosocial, physiological and anticipatory) was induced with three tasks prior to the start of the main experiment. To measure the attentional bias, a dot-probe task was implemented. The task consisted of 206 trials with an 80ms cue delay. Multiple regression analyses and post-hoc correlation analyses were performed, where almost no significant results were observed. Trait anxiety displayed significant effects, while stress exposure remained non-significant. The interaction of trait anxiety and stress exposure did not explain additional variance. The hypothesis regarding the change in attentional responses was thus rejected. Posthoc testing showed no significant correlations between trait anxiety and attentional bias and stress exposure and attentional bias. It remains unclear whether stress exposure significantly affects the attentional response towards threats in relation to trait anxiety.Show less
