Scarcity mindset impairs distractor suppression but not target enhancement in selective attention: Evidence from ERPs

Abstract

A scarcity mindset, induced by a perception of material scarcity, profoundly influences how individuals allocate their attention. Selective attention, a crucial cognitive control process enabling individuals to focus on relevant information while ignoring distractions, holds significant importance in both professional and personal domains. However, the specific impact of a scarcity mindset on selective attention and its underlying mechanisms remains uncertain. The objective of this study is to examine the specific impact of a scarcity mindset on selective attention using an experimental approach. Participants were subjected to either scarcity or neutral conditions, and their brain activity was measured using Electroencephalography (EEG) while performing a visual search task. The task involved identifying the direction of a target while disregarding a distractor, which was presented either laterally or in conjunction with the target along the vertical midline. The findings of our study indicate that individuals with a scarcity mindset displayed compromised selective attention, as evidenced by longer response times and weaker N2pc amplitudes in EEG recordings. Notably, distractor suppression was compromised, as evidenced by diminished Pd amplitudes, whereas the enhancement of targets remained relatively unaltered, as indicated by similar Nt amplitudes. These findings highlight a reduced ability to filter out irrelevant information in individuals with a scarcity mindset, thereby holding significant implications for social policies and practices.