The Impact of Anxiety on Processing Efficiency: Implications for the Attentional Control Theory

I Y Wong; Doug P Mahar; K Titchener; James Freeman

doi:10.2174/1874230001307010007

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The Impact of Anxiety on Processing Efficiency: Implications for the Attentional Control Theory

Journal article

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The Impact of Anxiety on Processing Efficiency: Implications for the Attentional Control Theory

I Y Wong, Doug P Mahar, K Titchener and James Freeman

Open Behavioral Science Journal, Vol.6, pp.7-15

2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2174/1874230001307010007

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Abstract

Psychology

Cognitive Sciences

central executive

attentional control

trait anxiety

processing efficiency

The Attentional Control Theory (ACT) proposes that high-anxious individuals maintain performance effectiveness (accuracy) at the expense of processing efficiency (response time), in particular, the two central executive functions of inhibition and shifting. In contrast, research has generally failed to consider the third executive function which relates to the function of updating. In the current study, seventy-five participants completed the Parametric Go/No- Go and n-back tasks, as well as the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory in order to explore the effects of anxiety on attention. Results indicated that anxiety lead to decay in processing efficiency, but not in performance effectiveness, across all three Central Executive functions (inhibition, set-shifting and updating). Interestingly, participants with high levels of trait anxiety also exhibited impaired performance effectiveness on the n-back task designed to measure the updating function. Findings are discussed in relation to developing a new model of ACT that also includes the role of preattentive processes and dual-task coordination when exploring the effects of anxiety on task performance.

Details

Title: The Impact of Anxiety on Processing Efficiency: Implications for the Attentional Control Theory
Authors: I Y Wong (Author) - Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland
Doug P Mahar (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
K Titchener (Author) - Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland
James Freeman (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
Publication details: Open Behavioral Science Journal, Vol.6, pp.7-15
Publisher: Bentham Open
Date published: 2013
DOI: 10.2174/1874230001307010007
ISSN: 1874-2300
Copyright note: Copyright © 2013 Wong et al.; Licensee Bentham Open. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync/3.0/), which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
Organisation Unit: Road Safety Research Collaboration; School of Social Sciences - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Engage Research Lab; School of Law and Society; Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99448739602621
Output Type: Journal article

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