Barthel Abigail L, Aderka Idan M, Byrne Andrew J, Peckham Andrew D, Hofmann Stefan G
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
Anxiety Stress Coping. 2022 Jul;35(4):409-424. doi: 10.1080/10615806.2021.1983801. Epub 2021 Oct 10.
According to the Attentional Control Theory, individuals with high levels of anxiety often shift their attention inefficiently due to increased effort to meet task demands. However, literature on the effects of anxiety on shifting performance is discrepant. This study examined the impacts of trait and state anxiety on attentional shifting and whether worry or depression explained variance in shifting.
One-hundred thirty-eight undergraduate psychology students were randomized to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) or control TSST. Subjects completed measures of state/trait anxiety, worry, and depression and a computerized attention task. Statistical analyses included linear mixed modelling (LMM), -tests, and ANOVAs.
Results revealed significant effects of state and trait anxiety and worry, but not depression. Type (location/direction) and presentation (switch/repeat) of trials also affected response times. Trait anxiety significantly related to trial presentation but did not interact with trial type. State anxiety did not significantly relate to either trial index. State and trait anxiety significantly impacted overall response time. Results revealed variations in cognitive flexibility, but no interactions between state and trait anxiety in predicting task switching.
These findings are discussed in the context of Attentional Control Theory and relevant empirical research.
根据注意力控制理论，焦虑水平高的个体由于为满足任务需求而增加努力，往往会低效地转移注意力。然而，关于焦虑对转移表现影响的文献存在差异。本研究考察了特质焦虑和状态焦虑对注意力转移的影响，以及担忧或抑郁是否能解释转移方面的差异。
138名心理学专业本科生被随机分配到特里尔社会应激测试（TSST）组或对照TSST组。受试者完成了状态/特质焦虑、担忧和抑郁的测量以及一项计算机化注意力任务。统计分析包括线性混合模型（LMM）、t检验和方差分析。
结果显示状态焦虑、特质焦虑和担忧有显著影响，但抑郁无显著影响。试验的类型（位置/方向）和呈现方式（切换/重复）也会影响反应时间。特质焦虑与试验呈现显著相关，但与试验类型无交互作用。状态焦虑与任何一个试验指标均无显著相关性。状态焦虑和特质焦虑对总体反应时间有显著影响。结果显示认知灵活性存在差异，但在预测任务切换时状态焦虑和特质焦虑之间无交互作用。
这些发现将在注意力控制理论和相关实证研究的背景下进行讨论。
