Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 25, 2025
16:08
Brain Imaging Investigation of the Impairing Effect of Emotion on Cognition
Published on: February 1, 2012
16.7K
Media multitasking as an avoidance coping strategy against emotionally negative stimuli.
1School of Psychology, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, Australia.
Anxiety, Stress, and Coping
|March 21, 2020
Summary
Media multitasking may hinder emotion regulation by serving as an avoidance coping strategy. This behavior is linked to difficulties managing negative emotions, potentially worsening anxiety and depression.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Media Studies
Background:
- Emotion regulation is key to managing negative experiences.
- Media multitasking involves simultaneous use of multiple media devices.
- Avoidance coping strategies are used to manage emotional distress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate media multitasking as an avoidance coping strategy.
- To examine the relationship between media multitasking and emotion regulation.
- To assess attentional bias towards negative stimuli in relation to media multitasking.
Main Methods:
- Correlational design with 140 participants.
- Self-report measures of media multitasking and emotion regulation.
- Cognitive measures of attentional bias and inhibitory control for emotional stimuli.
Main Results:
- Media multitasking associated with difficulties in emotional acceptance when attention is biased away from anxiety words.
- Poorer inhibitory control over anxiety words linked to difficulties in emotional acceptance with media multitasking.
- Stronger inhibitory control showed reduced interference from anxiety words with media multitasking.
Conclusions:
- Media multitasking functions as an avoidance coping strategy, diverting attention from negative stimuli.
- This maladaptive strategy may exacerbate negative moods, impacting anxiety and depression management.
- Findings highlight implications for mental health interventions addressing media use and emotional regulation.
More Related Videos
09:14Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: March 14, 2025
799
07:21The Emotional Stroop Task: Assessing Cognitive Performance under Exposure to Emotional Content
Published on: June 29, 2016
41.0K
Related Concept Videos
01:20Coping Strategies: Emotion Focused
355
Emotion-focused coping refers to a set of strategies aimed at managing the emotional impact of stressors, rather than directly addressing their causes. This approach involves altering one's emotional response to stressful situations to reduce their psychological effects. For example, individuals might talk with a friend or engage in activities like journaling to express their feelings. Such actions can help achieve emotional clarity or release, providing the psychological stability needed...
355
01:27Coping Strategies: Problem Focused
339
Coping strategies are methods people use to manage, tolerate, or reduce the effects of stressors. These strategies involve both behavioral and psychological actions to handle stressful situations. One common approach is problem-focused coping, which aims to change or eliminate the source of stress rather than merely addressing its consequences. This method involves taking direct action to resolve the issue causing stress.
For example, consider a student who struggles to understand their...
For example, consider a student who struggles to understand their...
339
01:29The Influence of Cognition on Affect
147
Cognition plays a pivotal role in shaping emotional experiences, as demonstrated by Schachter and Singer’s two-factor theory of emotion. According to this model, emotion arises from a combination of physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation. The body’s physiological response to stimuli is ambiguous and only gains emotional significance through cognitive labeling. For instance, an increased heart rate and adrenaline surge while standing near an attractive person may be...
147
01:20Lazarus's Cognitive Appraisal Theory
1.4K
Cognitive psychologist Richard Lazarus proposed the cognitive-mediational theory of emotions, which emphasizes how individuals' assessments of stressors significantly affect their experience of stress. According to Lazarus, the stress response is determined by a two-step appraisal process: primary appraisal and secondary appraisal. These cognitive appraisals help individuals evaluate the potential impact of a stressor and determine the adequacy of their coping resources.
Primary Appraisal:...
Primary Appraisal:...
1.4K
01:14Frustration and Conflict: Avoidance-Avoidance, Double-Approach Avoidance
475
Avoidance-avoidance conflict refers to a psychological situation where a person must choose between two or more unpleasant alternatives. These conflicts are particularly stressful because neither option is desirable. This dilemma is often expressed in sayings like "caught between a rock and a hard place" or "between the devil and the deep blue sea." For instance, individuals who fear dental procedures may find themselves torn between enduring a painful toothache or facing the...
475
01:20Psychological Responses to Stress
428
Psychological responses to stress encompass the various cognitive and emotional reactions individuals experience when faced with challenging or threatening situations, such as a job loss. Prolonged exposure to stressors can disturb emotional balance, increasing negative emotions (e.g., anxiety and sadness) and diminishing positive emotions (e.g., joy and satisfaction). These persistent emotional shifts are associated with an increased risk of both physical illness and mental health issues, such...
428