Attention and Emotion
Abstract
This text critically reviews the literature on attention and emotion, and offers an integrative cognitive attentional model of the development and maintenance of emotional disorders. It highlights the similarities and differences between disorders and offers specific new treatment implications. The book contains numerous summary sections so that readers less familiar with the cognitive literature can follow the main issues without being overwhelmed. The central aims of this work are: to review critically models of attention and their application to attentional processes in emotional disorders; To develop an integrative theoretical framework and model for conceptualizing attentional processes associated with the aetiology and maintenance of emotional stress reactions; and to discuss the implications for clinical practice of attentional theories of emotional dysfunction.
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In the original study, Cronbach's alpha values for the MCQ subscales were: cognitive confidence 0.93, positive beliefs 0.92, cognitive self-consciousness 0.92, negative beliefs 0.91, and need to control thoughts 0.72.
“Cronbach’s alpha values in the original study were as follows: cognitive confidence (α = 0.93), positive beliefs (α = 0.92), cognitive self-consciousness (α = 0.92), negative beliefs (α = 0.91), and need to control thoughts (α = 0.72) subscales.”
From Association between time perspective and metacognition among Lebanese adults: the mediating role of mindfulness (2023) · cites this paper as [24]
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Self-consciousness and cognitive failures as predictors of coping in stressful episodes
Adrian Wells, A., & Matthews, G. (1994) · Cognition & Emotion · doi:10.1080/02699939408408942 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
Self-citationMetacognitions, worry and attentional control in predicting OSCE performance test anxiety
O’Carroll, P. J., & Fisher, P. (2013) · Medical Education · doi:10.1111/medu.12125 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Martiadis, V., Pessina, E., Raffone, F., Iniziato, V., Martini, A., & Scognamiglio, P. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1155321 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
“The MCQ is a 65-item scale developed in 1997 (72) to measure different metacognition domains considered relevant to psychopathology according to the self-regulatory executive function model (68, 73, 74) that conceptualizes metacognitive factors involved in developing and maintaining psychological”
BackgroundWorry and metacognitions as predictors of the development of anxiety and paranoia
Sun, X., So, S. H., Chan, R. C. K., Chiu, C., & Leung, P. W. L. (2019) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-019-51280-z · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Dumas, F., Huguet, P., & Ayme, E. (2005) · Current psychology letters · doi:10.4000/cpl.456 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Major Depression and Brain Asymmetry in a Decision-Making Task with Negative and Positive Feedback
Kustubayeva, A., Kamzanova, A. T., Kudaibergenova, S. K., Pivkina, V., & Matthews, G. (2020) · Symmetry · doi:10.3390/sym12122118 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Self-citationMyhr, P., Hursti, T. J., Emanuelsson, K., Löfgren, E., & Hjemdal, O. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01532 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Validity and Reliability of the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30) among Chinese Adolescents
Li, F., Yuan, D., Gao, C., Xiong, K., Geng, F.-L., & Zhang, L. (2023) · Child Psychiatry and Human Development · doi:10.1007/s10578-023-01625-7 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
“In the self-regulatory executive function (S-REF) model [2], dysfunctional metacognition has been regarded as a key component in the onset and maintenance of psychological disorders.”
Therapeutic Gaming for Adolescent Anxiety
Barnes, S., & Prescott, J. (2021) · Advances in psychology, mental health, and behavioral studies (APMHBS) book series · doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-7991-6.ch009 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Seow, T. X. F., Jelinek, L., Moritz, S., & Hauser, T. U. (2025) · Nature Reviews Psychology · doi:10.1038/s44159-025-00503-4 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Chahine, A., El Zouki, C.-J., Mhanna, M., Hallit, S., & Obeid, S. (2023) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-023-05356-w · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Lin, S., Chen, X., Tan, L., Liao, Z., Li, Y., Tang, Y., Huang, Q., & Shen, H. (2024) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/45985 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Understanding the neurocognitive mechanisms of cognitive security
Crum, J. E., II, Allred, A. R., Bostrom, S. R., Doherty, E. J., McLain, M., Richardson, E. E., Spencer, C. A., Niemeyer, R. E., Anderson, A. P., Tossell, C. C., et al. (2025) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106448 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Rahnejat, A. M., Ebrahimi, M., Salimi, S. H., Fathi-Ashtiani, A., Taghva, A., Mohammadi, T., Ghadam, H. S. H., & Barzoki, H. S. (2023) · Military Psychology · doi:10.1080/08995605.2023.2195328 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Emotional Salience and Learning
Pacheco, A. O. M.-N., Montemurro, M., Gana, S., & Ceric, F. (2023) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-31709-5_26 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Metabeliefs about worry, cognitive fusion, and acceptance: associations and mediations analysis
Sánchez-Escamilla, F., Delgado, M. R., Jiménez-Ros, A. M., & Nieto, M. Á. P. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1639105 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“…beliefs (e.g., “ruminating helps me to solve problems”) motivate engagement in this process, while negative metacognitive beliefs (e.g., “my rumination is uncontrollable and harmful”) exacerbate distress and reinforce avoidance strategies (Wells and Matthews, 2016; Papageorgiou and Wells, 2003).”
(1994) · Journal of Management Studies · doi:10.1111/j.1467-6486.1994.tb00631.x
Therapeutic Gaming for Adolescent Anxiety
Barnes, S., & Prescott, J. (2022) · IGI Global eBooks · doi:10.4018/978-1-6684-7589-8.ch037
Pacheco, A. O. M.-N., Montemurro, M., Gana, S., & Cerić, F. (2024) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-58979-9_26
Metacognition and Metacognitive Therapy in Gambling Disorder
Erdem, E., Şafak, Y., & Mutlu, E. A. (2025) · Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry · doi:10.18863/pgy.1754996
Metacognitive interventions for adolescents with mental disorders: a scoping review
Santo, A. E., Marques, J. P. R., Silva, R. C. G., Balzan, R. P., Sampaio, F., & de Pinho, L. G. (2026) · Pediatric Research · doi:10.1038/s41390-026-05115-z
Ansari, S. I., Martin, L. A., Guest, K. C., & Kana, R. K. (2026) · Autism Research · doi:10.1002/aur.70305
“…previous literature and supports the theoretical metacognitive model of psychopathology (Craig et al. 2016; Munsell et al. 2022; Wang and Liu 2021; Wells and Matthews 2016), it also conflicts with the findings of a previous study (Ameis et al. 2022), where no such significant mediating effect of…”
Uysal, E. (2026) · IntechOpen eBooks · doi:10.5772/intechopen.1017564
Hawes, M. T., Edershile, E. A., Bentley, K. H., AhnAllen, C. G., & Kleiman, E. M. (2026) · Cognitive Therapy and Research · doi:10.1007/s10608-026-10795-2
- Authors
- Wells, A., & Matthews, G.
- Venue
- Psychology Press eBooks
- Publisher
- Psychology Press
- Published
- 2016-01-28
- OpenAlex
- W4249546304
- Cited by
- 25
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 0.68
- Type
- book
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychology Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Disorders
- Keywords
- attention, emotions, emotional disorders, attentional processes, therapeutic implications, emotional dysfunction
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