Cited by 49Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesVisual Attention and Saliency DetectionAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Directed attention reduces processing of emotional distracters irrespective of valence and arousal level

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Wiens, Stefan, Syrjänen, Elmeri·2013·Biological Psychology

Abstract

Emotional stimuli tend to capture attention, and this so-called motivated attention is commonly measured using the early posterior negativity (EPN) and the late positive potential (LPP). We hypothesized that voluntary, directed attention reduces motivated attention more strongly for highly than moderately arousing pleasant or unpleasant pictures. Participants were instructed to direct their attention to either a picture at fixation or the letters flanking the picture. Pictures varied substantially in arousal and valence. When the pictures were attended to, EPN and LPP increased linearly with arousal. When the letters were attended to, these linear effects decreased in the EPN for pleasant and unpleasant pictures and in the LPP for pleasant pictures. Thus, directed attention decreases processing of emotional distracters more strongly for highly than moderately arousing pleasant and unpleasant pictures. These results are consistent with the view that directed attention decreases emotion effects on sensory gain.

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Authors
Wiens, S., & Syrjänen, E.
Affiliations
Stockholm University (SE)
Corresponding author
Wiens, Stefan
Venue
Biological Psychology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2013-09
Volume
94
Issue
1
Pages
44-54
ISSN
0301-0511 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2049219845
Cited by
49
References
81
Citations by year
2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 1
FWCI
3.29
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Biological Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition › Visual Attention and Saliency Detection
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Keywords
directed attention, motivated attention, emotional distracters, emotional valence, emotional arousal, early posterior negativity, late positive potential, attentional capture, emotional pictures
MeSH terms
Adult, Analysis of Variance, Arousal, Attention, Brain Mapping, Electroencephalography, Evoked Potentials, Visual, Female, Humans, Male, Photic Stimulation, Reaction Time, Time Factors, Visual Perception, Mood Disorders, Young Adult

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