Individual differences at high perceptual load: the relation between trait anxiety and selective attention

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Attentional control theory suggests anxiety taxes cognitive resources, impairing performance.
• The theory's interaction with task perceptual demands remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between trait anxiety and task performance.
• To examine how perceptual load moderates anxiety's effect on attentional control.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-eight male college students completed a visual search task.
• The task involved four levels of perceptual load, measuring distractor processing and reaction times.
• Trait anxiety was assessed using self-report measures.

Main Results:

• Higher trait anxiety correlated with reduced reaction time efficiency (difficulty suppressing distractors) under high perceptual load.
• This effect was not observed under low perceptual load.
• Anxiety levels did not significantly affect error rates.

Conclusions:

• Anxiety's impact on performance efficiency is contingent on task perceptual demands.
• Findings support attentional control theory, particularly under high cognitive load conditions.
• Impaired attentional control in anxiety is specific to performance efficiency, not necessarily accuracy.