广泛性焦虑个体的注意偏向

Attentional Bias of Individuals with Generalized Anxiety

探讨广泛性焦虑个体在一般情境和不确定性情境下注意偏向的特点。采用点探测注意搜索任务研究了在一般情境下和不确定性情境下广泛性焦虑个体的注意偏向,结果表明高广泛性焦虑个体的注意偏向以对威胁性刺激的注意转移困难为主,不确定性情境会让广泛性焦虑个体更容易处于紧张焦虑的状态当中,从而对情绪性刺激尤其是消极刺激表现出更多的注意偏向和对情绪性刺激直接的注意敏感性。

Continuous attention to negative stimuli is a necessary condition for individuals to maintain their worries. Previous research has also shown that intolerance of uncertainty is one important factor that contributes to symptoms of generalized anxiety. A research question then emerges： do individuals with generalized anxiety pay particular attention to negative stimuli under uncertain situations？ Little research has been conducted to answer this question. Consequently, the present research aims at demonstrating the attentional bias of individuals with generalized anxiety. Using the dot-probe task paradigm, two experiments were conducted to examine the attentional bias of individuals with generalized anxiety under ordinary versus uncertain situations. Using the Chinese version of Penn State Worry Questionnaire, we tested 1135 college students among which 60 students with generalized anxiety and 60 control students were selected. The 120 students participated in a test under ordinary situations in Experiment 1 and in another test under uncertain situations in Experiment 2. Results showed significant differences between students with generalized anxiety and control students in their attentional bias under uncertain, rather than ordinary situations. Under uncertain situations, students with generalized anxiety paid more attention to negative stimuli than their counterparts without generalized anxiety did. Additionally, they also felt more stressful and anxious under uncertain situations than their counterparts did.