Attentional Control Scale Research Articles

Investigation of Certain Cognitive and Metacognitive Factors Affecting Anxiety and Depression Symptoms Through Parallel Serial Mediation Models

Objective: This study aims to investigate the parallel serial mediating effects of cognitive flexibility, attentional control, and worry in the relationship between rumination—which has been repeatedly proven to persist in the etiology of depression—and the symptoms of depression. This model will also be tested with anxiety symptoms. Method: The study involved 832 university students, all emerging adults. The Personal Information Form, Ruminative Thought Style Questionnaire, Penn State Worry Questionnaire, Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, Attentional Control Scale, and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale Short Form were used. Results: In two separate parallel serial mediation analyses, where gender was included as a control variable and depression and anxiety symptoms were included as dependent variables, the findings of the significant models were consistent. Accordingly, in both models in which both depression and anxiety are predicted, while the parallel serial mediation effect of cognitive flexibility and worry was significant (respectively; B=.003, SE=.001, %95 BCa CI [.001, .005]; B=.004, SE=.001, %95 BCa CI [.003, .007]), the parallel serial mediation effect of cognitive flexibility and attentional control was not significant (respectively; B=.000, SE=.000, %95 BCa CI [-.001, .001]; B=.00, SE=.00, %95 BCa CI [-.001, .001]). Conclusion: The findings of models that include certain cognitive and metacognitive factors seem to support the idea proposed by the transdiagnostic approach that there are common vulnerability factors in the explanation of disorders.

Treatment as a moderator and executive function as a mediator of the effect of a mindfulness ecological momentary intervention for generalized anxiety disorder.

Theory and research indicated that executive functioning (EF) correlated with, preceded, and stemmed from worry in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The present secondary analysis (Zainal & Newman, 2023b) thus determined whether EF domains mediated the effect of a 14-day (5 prompts/day) mindfulness ecological momentary intervention (MEMI) against a self-monitoring control (SM) for GAD. Participants (N = 110) diagnosed with GAD completed self-reported (Attentional Control Scale, GAD Questionnaire, Perseverative Cognitions Questionnaire) and performance-based tests (Letter-Number Sequencing, Stroop, Trail Making Test-B, Verbal Fluency) at baseline, post-treatment, and one-month follow-up (1MFU). Causal mediation analyses determined if pre-post changes in EF domains preceded and mediated the effect of MEMI against SM on pre-1MFU changes in GAD severity and trait repetitive negative thinking (RNT). MEMI was more efficacious than SM in improving pre-post inhibition (β = -2.075, 95% [-3.388, -0.762], p = .002), working memory (β = 0.512, 95% [0.012, 1.011], p = .045), and set-shifting (β = -2.916, 95% [-5.142, -0.691], p = .010) but not verbal fluency and attentional control. Within groups, MEMI but not SM produced improvements in all examined pre-post EF outcomes except attentional control. Only pre-post improvements in inhibition mediated the effect of MEMI against SM on pre-1MFU reductions in GAD severity (β = -0.605, 95% [-1.357, -0.044], p = .030; proportion mediated = 7.1%) and trait RNT (β = -0.024, 95% [-0.054, -0.001], p = .040; proportion mediated = 7.4%). These patterns remained after conducting sensitivity analyses with non-linear mediator-outcome relations. Optimizing MEMI for GAD might entail specifically boosting inhibition plausibly by augmenting it with dialectical behavioral therapy, encouraging high-intensity physical exercises, and targeting negative emotional contrast avoidance.

Mediating role of right superior corona microstructural changes in linking attentional control and trait anxiety among youth with childhood maltreatment.

This study explores the neural correlates between attentional control and trait anxiety among youth with a history of childhood maltreatment. Using diffusion tensor imaging, we investigated the microstructural integrity of brain white matter, particularly focusing on the right superior corona radiata (SCA-R). A total of 173 university students with experiences of childhood maltreatment underwent behavioral assessments using the Attentional Control Scale and trait anxiety measurements via the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Our analysis found significant correlations between fractional anisotropy values in the SCA-R and trait anxiety levels, controlled for age and sex. Notably, SCA-R fractional anisotropy values partially mediated the relationship between attentional control and trait anxiety, suggesting a potential pathway through which attentional control could mitigate trait anxiety. These insights highlight attentional control as a potential mitigating factor against trait anxiety, particularly noting the partial mediation role of the SCA-R. Importantly, this study is descriptive and correlative, highlighting associations rather than causal relationships among the variables studied. These findings enhance our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying anxiety in individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment.

Attentional Control Scale- Turkish Version: Psychometric Qualities, Factor Structure and its Comparison with Behavioral Measures of Executive Attention

Attentional control refers to the capacity to voluntarily control attentional resources in a flexible manner. Attentional control was reported to play a fundamental role in self-regulation, emotion regulation, delay of gratification, and psychological distress. The Attentional Control Scale (ACS) was developed to measure perceived attentional control based on shifting and focusing dimensions. The present studies aimed to adapt the Turkish version of ACS and asses its psychometric characteristics. Study 1 aimed to explore the psychometric qualities of the Turkish version with a group of Turkish individuals (N = 428, 306 women) between the ages of 18 and 68 and supported the two-factor model of ACS consisting of 17 items in total. The results supported that shifting, focusing, and total ACS showed adequate internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity evidence based on its significant correlations with measures of anxiety, depression, and repetitive negative thinking, signifying its proper psychometric characteristics. In Study 2 (N = 97, 65 women), the association of ACS with behavioral attentional control measures was examined, and non-significant associations between self-report and behavioral measures of attentional control were denoted. These findings signified that rather than indicating the individual’s actual attentional control capacity, ACS assessed how the individual perceives their own attention control capacities. Taken together, the results suggest that the Turkish form of ACS is a valid and reliable scale that can be used to assess perceived attentional control capacity based on shifting and focusing domains, particularly in the research setting.

Impact of Screen Time on Attention Control, Phubbing, and Social Isolation

Screen time has become an important topic for research in the past few years as it has a significant impact on a person’s mental health and overall development. There is a moderate positive correlation between screen time and attention span (Chakraborty & Nautiyal, 2023). Its influence on attention span is crucial for individuals to study so policymakers, educators, and psychologists can advocate for balanced screen time management for sustained attention (Chakraborty & Nautiyal, 2023). Studies have also found that excessive screen exposure can lead to attention deficit problems in children (Zimmerman & Christakis, 2007). Another Hadar and Eliraz (2015) study showed that more attention deficit-like behaviour was found in individuals who are high smartphone users. Excessive use of Instagram also showed a high positive correlation with a person’s phubbing behaviour (Santos et al., 2023). This research paper explores the impact of screen time and the use of Instagram on phubbing behaviour, social isolation and attention control. The variables were measured using 1) the Phubbing Scale (PS-8): a measure developed by Roberts and David (2016), to assess the extent of the habit of snubbing someone in favour of a mobile phone; 2) the UCLA Social Isolation Scale: a measure developed by Russell (1996), to assess subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation; 3) Attention Control Scale (ACS): measure developed by Derryberry and Reed (2002), to assess an individual's ability to control their attention and focus in various situations. Data from 100 individuals was collected and analysed using linear regression. Results are in progress and will be discussed in detail in the paper.

Relationship of Attentional Control and Intolerance of Uncertainty with Hoarding Behaviour among University Boarding Students

Background: Hoarding disorder is increasingly recognized as a significant mental health condition characterized by an excessive acquisition and difficulty in discarding possessions. While previous research has identified genetic, environmental, and neurobiological factors contributing to hoarding behaviors, studies in the Pakistani context, particularly among university students, are scarce. This study investigates the role of attentional control and intolerance of uncertainty in relation to hoarding behaviors among university boarding students in Pakistan. Objective: The primary objective of this study was to examine the relationships between hoarding behaviors, attentional control, and intolerance of uncertainty, and to explore the demographic influences on these variables, with a focus on gender differences. Methods: Utilizing a correlational and cross-sectional design, this study recruited a balanced sample of 200 university boarding students (100 males and 100 females) via simple random sampling. The Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS), Attention Control Scale (ATC), and Saving Inventory Scale (SI-R) were employed to measure the respective constructs. Data were collected through paper-based questionnaires, with analysis conducted using SPSS version 25. Statistical methods included descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and t-tests for gender comparison. Results: The results indicated a moderate positive correlation between hoarding behaviors and intolerance of uncertainty (r = .33, p < .01), and a negative correlation between attentional control and intolerance of uncertainty (r = -.19, p < .01). Gender differences were significant, with males exhibiting higher mean scores in hoarding behaviors (M = 45.13, SD = 10.67) compared to females (M = 39.12, SD = 10.38), and similar patterns were observed for other studied variables. Education and socioeconomic status showed no significant effects on the relationships studied. Conclusion: The study underscores the significant impact of intolerance of uncertainty and attentional control on hoarding behaviors among university students in Pakistan, with distinct gender differences suggesting the need for targeted interventions. This research contributes to the understanding of hoarding in a novel cultural context and supports the development of specific therapeutic strategies focusing on cognitive and emotional regulation.

Examining attentional control deficits in adolescents with test anxiety: An evidential synthesis using self-report, behavioral, and resting-state EEG measures

Attentional control theory suggests that test anxiety hinders individuals' attentional control, aiding our understanding of how test anxiety may impair cognitive function. However, various methods used to assess attentional control have yielded inconsistent findings. Moreover, past studies, especially on adolescents, that examine the distinct impacts of worry and the emotional components of test anxiety on individuals' attentional control capacity are scarce. This study, using self-report, behavioral, and resting-state EEG measures, explores how worry and emotionality, impact attentional control in adolescents. It enhances our understanding of the link between test anxiety and cognitive function. Referring to the effect size from prior studies, a total of 42 adolescents took part in the study. We used the Test Anxiety Inventory, due to it can assess worry and emotionality components. We employed three widely-utilized measures of attentional control: the Attentional Control Scale (ACS), the Go/Nogo task, and resting-state electroencephalography measures (alpha oscillation and the theta/beta power ratio). Both worry and emotionality components were significantly and negatively correlated with the ACS scores. Unlike worry, emotionality demonstrated a significant positive correlation with response times for the Go trials and alpha power in the parietal cortex. These results suggest that, emotionality, but not worry, is highly correlated with attentional control deficits in adolescents. This study underscores the significance of distinguishing between the components of test anxiety, which aids in comprehending the negative impacts of test anxiety on adolescents' academic performance.

Comparing Self-Report vs. Performance Measures of Attentional Control and Efficiency.

Background: The Attention Control Scale (ATTC) is a widely used self-report measure of attentional control capacities. However, research questions whether it accurately substitutes for objective attention control tasks. This study investigated ATTC's correlation with the Attention Network Test (ANT) across alerting, orienting, and executive control networks. We also used the Inverse Efficiency Score (IES) as an additional factor to check ATTC using ANT. Methods: We administered 143 participants who completed the ATTC questionnaire and ANT behavioral test assessing network efficiencies. Results: The results showed non-significant ATTC-ANT correlations across all networks. In an additional analysis, while the ATTC demonstrated factorial validity, subjective control was disconnected from actual attention regulation efficiency. A small male advantage emerged for executive control. Conclusions: Dissociations likely stem from attention complexity and method variances rather than overlap. The findings do not support the ATTC as a stand-alone proxy for performance-based measurement. Multifaceted assessments are essential for comprehensively capturing attentional control.

Can the Spontaneous Electroencephalography Theta/Beta Power Ratio and Alpha Oscillation Measure Individuals' Attentional Control?

Past studies have shown that spontaneous electroencephalography indicators-namely, the theta/beta power ratio and alpha oscillation-may measure individuals' attentional control processes. However, there is lack of research distinguishing these differences. This study investigated whether the theta/beta power ratio and alpha oscillation were separately related to the objective and subjective criteria of attentional control in eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. The results showed two main findings: (1) In the eyes-open condition, the theta/beta power ratio at the Fz and Pz electrode sites were significantly negatively correlated with the attentional control scale score; the alpha power at the Pz electrode site was significantly negatively correlated with flanker RT interference effect; (2) In the eyes-closed condition, the alpha power at the Cz and Pz electrode sites were significantly positively correlated with flanker P3d. In summary, this study showed that the eyes-open spontaneous theta/beta power ratio may reflect individuals' beliefs in their attentional control ability, and the alpha oscillation may be related to individuals' attentional control ability.

Comparison of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, decision-making, and attention control in individuals with sex addiction and normal people.

Sexual addiction as a neglected disorder requires investigation and exploration as it affects various aspects of individual's personal and social lives. Therefore, the current research purpose was to examine the afflicted individuals from the standpoints of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, decision-making styles, and the function of attention. The research population of this study included all students of Isfahan University during the academic year January 2020 to February 2021, and after the screening, a total of 200 individuals were selected as a research sample and divided into two groups: the group with sexual addiction and the healthy group. Subsequently, both groups completed questionnaires related to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Questionnaire (MHNQ), General Decision-Making Style Questionnaire, and Attention Control Scale (ACS). The results of multivariate analysis of variance showed significant differences between two groups, normal and abnormal, in the needs for safety and the need for respect from Maslow's hierarchy of needs, decision-making styles (intuitive, dependent, and spontaneous), and the focus maintenance of attention in attentional functioning (P < 0/001). The variables of physiological needs, belongingness, and self-actualization in Maslow groups, normal and abnormal, decision-making styles, and the subscale of attention switching in attentional functioning did not show any significant difference in the two groups. Overall, it appears that fixing (stabilization) in one category and returning (regression) in the stages of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, attention deficits including excessive or hyper-focused attention, malfunctioning in the decision-making process, and an impulsive, desire-driven approach, may significantly account for the difference observed between the two groups in these variables.

الإجهاد الرقمي المدرك وعلاقته بالتحكم الإنتباهي لدى طلبة الإعدادية

Perceived digital stress expresses a state of anxiety or psychological tension resulting from a difficult situation. It is also a natural human response that prompts the individual to confront the challenges and threats that he experiences in his daily life. Everyone suffers from stress to one degree or another, but the way we respond to stress makes a big difference in The state of general well-being we live in, and stressful situations may cause or exacerbate mental health problems, Attentional control is the individual's ability to quickly switch between stimuli and focus on tasks effectively in the presence of environmental distractions and different emotional expressions. It performs many functional tasks that are of great importance in learning, including planning, which includes cognitive identification of the goal and sub-goals and appropriate performance to achieve these goals. The current research question was: Is there a relationship between perceived digital stress and attentional control among middle school students To achieve the objectives of the current research, the Perceived Digital Stress Scale was adopted, and the Attentional Control Scale was adopted. The validity and reliability of the research measures were verified by applying them to a sample of (300) male and female middle school students in Al-Diwaniyah Governorate, who were chosen randomly, and the statistical bag was used. For Social Sciences (SPSS) in data processing, the research concluded that the members of the research sample have perceived digital stress and have attentional control, and that there is an inverse relationship between perceived digital stress and attentional control among the sample members, and the research concluded with several suggestions and recommendations. Keywords: perceived digital stress, attentional control, middle school students.

The effect of working memory training on test anxiety symptoms and attentional control in adolescents

ObjectiveThe percentage of adolescents with test anxiety is increasing rapidly. Working memory (WM) training has been demonstrated to reduce anxiety levels and enhance attentional control in individuals. Therefore, we investigated whether adaptive dual n-back WM training could lower test anxiety level and improve attentional control in adolescents.MethodsForty adolescents were allocated to either adaptive dual n-back WM training (n = 21) or non-adaptive dual 1-back WM training (n = 19) for 10 days. The Test Anxiety Scale was applied to measure individuals’ test anxiety symptoms. The Attentional Control Scale (ACS), the flanker task, and the Go/Nogo task were used to measure attentional control.ResultsCompared with the control group, the training group reported significantly relief of test anxiety symptoms; however, there were no significant differences between the two groups in pre-to-post changes in ACS scores or performance on the flanker task and Go/Nogo task.ConclusionIn sum, adaptive dual n-back WM training effectively reduced adolescents’ level of test anxiety but did not improve their attentional control.

The longitudinal relationship between childhood trauma and adolescents' externalizing problems: A moderated mediation model

BackgroundExternalizing problems among adolescents are prevalent, which are associated with a range of maladaptive developmental outcomes. Existing studies investigated the influence of childhood trauma, and attentional control on and how sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is related to adolescents' externalizing problems. However, it is unknown whether attentional control plays a mediating role in the relationships between childhood trauma and adolescents' externalizing problems, and whether SPS plays a moderating role in these relationships. The present study examined these issues with a six-month-interval longitudinal study design. MethodsA total of 1933 junior school students (Grade 7, Mage = 12.82, 47.7 % girls) from a large follow-up project in a city of eastern China participated in the study. After half a year (wave 2), the data of 1890 participants (Grade 8) were collected. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Attentional Control Scale (ACS-C), Highly Sensitive Child Scale (HSCS), and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL-YSR) were administered to the participants to assess their childhood trauma, attentional control, SPS, and externalizing problems in two waves. The immediate and longitudinal moderated mediation models were utilized to investigate the relationships among these factors. ResultsChildhood trauma significantly and positively predicted adolescents' externalizing problems. Attentional control played an immediate and longitudinal mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and externalizing problems. SPS moderated the relationship between childhood trauma and adolescents' attentional control. Childhood trauma had a greater effect on the attentional control of adolescents with SPS levels. ConclusionsThis study suggests that childhood trauma might impair adolescents' attentional control and then increase their externalizing problems. The influence of childhood trauma on attentional control is more serious among adolescents with lower SPS levels. Therefore, decreasing and preventing childhood trauma and building a warm nurturing environment might be beneficial to improving adolescents' attentional control ability and then reduce their externalizing problems.

Performance-based attentional control, but not self-reported attentional control, predicts changes in depressive symptoms in short-term psychotherapy

ObjectiveAlthough impairments in attentional control are pervasive across psychopathology, there is substantial individual differences. In the current study, we examined whether individual differences in self-reported and performance-based measures of attentional control predict changes in depressive symptoms and well-being in a diagnostically diverse sample of patients attending a CBT-based partial hospital program. MethodParticipants were 89 patients (56.2% men, 75.3% non-Hispanic White). At baseline, patients completed the self-reported Attentional Control Scale and the Rapid Serial Visual Presentation task (RSVP), a behavioral measure of attentional control. Depressive symptoms were assessed daily using the Patient Health Questionnaire and well-being was assessed using the Mental Health Continuum Short Form. ResultsOn average, greater self-reported attentional control was significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms, β = −0.49, t(52) = 4.84, p < .001, 95% CIs [−0.69, −0.29], and greater well-being, β = 0.45, t(53) = 3.90, p < .001, 95% CIs [0.22, 0.67]. More accurate task-based performance was associated with a decline in depressive symptoms over time, β = −0.02, t(32) = 2.50, p = .02, 95% CIs [−0.04, −0.01]. Neither self-reported nor performance-based measures of attentional control predicted changes in well-being. Finally, exploratory analyses suggest that depressive symptoms also improved over time for individuals who underestimated self-reported attentional control abilities relative to task-based performance, β = −0.19, t(32) = 2.23, p = .03, 95% CIs [−0.36, −0.02]. ConclusionsResults suggest that performance-based attentional control may be an important target for assessment and intervention, as well as a potential mechanism underlying risk and recovery.

The impact of smartphone addiction on attention control and sleep in Egypt—an online survey

BackgroundThe widespread use of smartphones makes it imperative for researchers to study the adverse effect of smartphone addiction. We aimed to study the risk factors of smartphone addiction, insomnia, and attention deficit among smartphone users among a sample of Egyptian adolescents and adults.MethodsAn online survey was disseminated among Egyptian social media groups. Participants were requested to complete Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scale, and attention control scale (ACS).ResultsTwo-thousand seven-hundred sixteen responded to our survey with a mean age of 31.4 ± 10.3 years. Smartphone addiction was documented in 2386 (87.8%) participants, with a median daily time for smartphone use of 5 h (IQR: 3–7). A significant association was found between smartphone addiction and younger age, higher educational levels, and urban residency (unadjusted or adjusted). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the only factor affecting the probability of moderate to severe insomnia was the higher SAS-SV score, either unadjusted (OR = 1.1, 95% CI: 1.08–1.1) or adjusted (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.08–1.11). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that higher scores on SAS-SV (P < 0.001) and ISI (P < 0.001), being female (P < 0.001), and being of rural residency (P = 0.025) were associated with lower total scores on ACS. On the other hand, older age (P < 0.001) and longer intervals between smartphone cessation and bedtime (P = 0.004) were found to increase the attention score.ConclusionSmartphone addiction is prevalent in Egypt, which deserves special concern as it may have negative consequences such as insomnia and poor attention control, particularly in younger age groups.

Elevated cognitive failures in trait anxiety

Previous research indicates that individuals with high levels of trait anxiety have poor attentional control as gauged by the Attentional Control Scale (ACS). However, the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) is a measure of attentional control that has key advantages over the ACS, including predicting important real-world outcomes such as car crash risk. The present study assessed the relationships between trait anxiety, cognitive failures as gauged by the CFQ, and the Focusing and Shifting factors from the ACS in a large sample (N = 532) of adult participants. It was found that higher levels of trait anxiety were associated with increased cognitive failures, and CFQ scores explained unique variance in trait anxiety beyond that explained by either Focusing or Shifting. This means that trait anxious individuals experience problems with attentional control that manifest in important real-world domains such as driving. We discuss reasons why future research should employ the CFQ when investigating experiences of attentional control in relation to trait anxiety. Further, individual differences in the use of reappraisal as an emotion regulation strategy did not account for the relationship between attentional control and trait anxiety. This informs theoretical models that seek to explain why these variables are related.

Attention and impulsivity assessment using virtual reality games

The assessment of cognitive functions is mainly based on standardized neuropsychological tests, widely used in various fields such as personnel recruitment, education, or health. This paper presents a virtual reality game that allows collecting continuous measurements of both the performance and behaviour of the subject in an immersive, controllable, and naturalistic experience. The application registers variables related to the user’s eye movements through the use of virtual reality goggles, as well as variables of the game performance. We study how virtual reality can provide data to help predict scores on the Attention Control Scale Test and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. We design the application and test it with a pilot group. We build a random forest regressor model to predict the attention and impulsivity scales’ total score. When evaluating the performance of the model, we obtain a positive correlation with attention (0.434) and with impulsivity (0.382). In addition, our model identified that the most significant variables are the time spent looking at the target or at distractors, the eye movements variability, the number of blinks and the pupil dilation in both attention and impulsivity. Our results are consistent with previous results in the literature showing that it is possible to use data collected in virtual reality to predict the degree of attention and impulsivity.

Gender moderates the association between resting vagally mediated heart rate variability and attentional control.

Women typically exhibit weaker attentional control ability than men. Lower resting vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) is thought to reflect the poorer function of the neurophysiological pathways underlying attentional control and thus, poorer attentional control ability. However, existing findings are inconsistent regarding the relationship between vmHRV and attentional control. Gender may be an important moderator. To examine whether gender moderates the relationship between resting vmHRV and attentional control, and to provide neurophysiological evidence for elucidating gender differences in attentional control ability. Two hundred and twenty college students completed the Attentional Control Scale to evaluate their attentional control ability. Resting vmHRV was assessed during a 5 min baseline period using an electrocardiographic amplifier (ECG100C) of the Biopac MP150 physiological recorder. (1) There was no significant difference in the total scores of the Attentional Control Scale between men and women (t = 0.498, p > 0.05), but the scores of the attentional shifting dimension of women were significantly lower than those of men (t = 1.995, p < 0.05); (2) Resting vmHRV was significantly negatively correlated with attentional control in women(r = -0.233, p < 0.01), whereas the correlation was not significant in men; (3) Gender significantly moderated the relationship between resting vmHRV and attentional control (B = -3.088, 95% boot CI [-5.431, -0.745], t = -2.598, p < 0.05); (4) Among participants with lower resting vmHRV, there was no significant difference in attentional control between men and women (B = 2.284, 95% boot CI [-0.748, 5.310], p > 0.05), but among participants with higher resting vmHRV, men scored significantly higher than women in attentional control (B = -3.377, 95% boot CI [-6.406, -0.348], p < 0.05). Gender moderates the relationship between resting vmHRV and attentional control, with higher resting vmHRV in women reflecting a compensatory response to deficits in attentional control.

Correction to: Validation and Adaptation of the Attentional Control Scale Among a French-Speaking Population Through Factor and Network Analysis

Correction to: Validation and Adaptation of the Attentional Control Scale Among a French-Speaking Population Through Factor and Network Analysis

Trait anxiety slows speed of processing but does not affect specific components of executive control

The present work aimed to establish the influence of self-reported trait anxiety on computerized and self-reported measures of executive control, and speed of processing in young adults using latent variable modeling. One hundred and six participants completed the State-trait anxiety questionnaire (STAI-t), the Attentional Control Scale (ACS), and a set of computerized tasks of executive control, tapping into the updating, inhibition, and shifting components. Higher scores in the latent variable of trait anxiety were negatively associated with the self-reported latent variable of attentional control. Notably, self-reported and performance-based indicators of executive control showed no associations at the latent level. Contrary to our hypotheses, higher trait anxiety did not affect any performance-based executive component but was associated with an increase in response times. We show that self-reported trait anxiety is related to a lower self-perceived sense of attentional control and does not affect executive functioning in non-clinical samples. In turn, trait anxiety is mainly associated with a slowed speed of processing. In conclusion, the tendency to experience a negative mood is related with cognitive processing by reducing its speed even in the absence of threatening stimuli.