Attentional biases associated with health threat, and their modification
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USyd Access
Type
ThesisThesis type
Doctor of PhilosophyAuthor/s
Amar, KaurAbstract
This thesis has two related aims: (i) to investigate whether situational health threat influences individuals’ pattern of attentional bias; and (ii) to examine the causal contribution of attentional biases to anxiety vulnerability following health threat, by modifying these biases. ...
See moreThis thesis has two related aims: (i) to investigate whether situational health threat influences individuals’ pattern of attentional bias; and (ii) to examine the causal contribution of attentional biases to anxiety vulnerability following health threat, by modifying these biases. Results suggest that health threat, as compared to health reassurance, is associated with a greater bias towards all negative words; both in terms of the initial orienting of eye-gaze and the bias indices on an attentional probe task that presented stimuli for 500 ms. Although eye-tracking data do not indicate group differences in the maintenance of attention, bias indices following 1500 ms stimulus presentations were specific to negative health-related stimuli, suggesting that bias may become concern-specific between 500 and 1500 ms. Group differences were not found on an emotional Stroop task. In both attentional bias modification (ABM) studies, training tasks were not effective in modifying attention; therefore, conclusions regarding the effects of bias modification cannot be made. Nevertheless, those who completed a task designed to train attention towards negative health-related words displayed a greater increase in skin conductance following health threat, relative to those who completed a task designed to train attention towards neutral words. Groups did not differ on heart rate response or self-report outcome measures. A task designed to train attention towards negative general words did not lead to group differences in outcome measures as compared to a task designed to train attention towards neutral words. In line with theoretical models, health-related feedback appears to trigger attentional bias. However, further research examining the role of attentional biases in the context of health threat and health anxiety is warranted, as is ABM research that explores the mechanisms of change, and individual differences that may influence the effects of ABM.
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See moreThis thesis has two related aims: (i) to investigate whether situational health threat influences individuals’ pattern of attentional bias; and (ii) to examine the causal contribution of attentional biases to anxiety vulnerability following health threat, by modifying these biases. Results suggest that health threat, as compared to health reassurance, is associated with a greater bias towards all negative words; both in terms of the initial orienting of eye-gaze and the bias indices on an attentional probe task that presented stimuli for 500 ms. Although eye-tracking data do not indicate group differences in the maintenance of attention, bias indices following 1500 ms stimulus presentations were specific to negative health-related stimuli, suggesting that bias may become concern-specific between 500 and 1500 ms. Group differences were not found on an emotional Stroop task. In both attentional bias modification (ABM) studies, training tasks were not effective in modifying attention; therefore, conclusions regarding the effects of bias modification cannot be made. Nevertheless, those who completed a task designed to train attention towards negative health-related words displayed a greater increase in skin conductance following health threat, relative to those who completed a task designed to train attention towards neutral words. Groups did not differ on heart rate response or self-report outcome measures. A task designed to train attention towards negative general words did not lead to group differences in outcome measures as compared to a task designed to train attention towards neutral words. In line with theoretical models, health-related feedback appears to trigger attentional bias. However, further research examining the role of attentional biases in the context of health threat and health anxiety is warranted, as is ABM research that explores the mechanisms of change, and individual differences that may influence the effects of ABM.
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Date
2014-01-01Licence
The author retains copyright of this thesis. It may only be used for the purposes of research and study. It must not be used for any other purposes and may not be transmitted or shared with others without prior permission.Faculty/School
Faculty of Science, School of PsychologyAwarding institution
The University of SydneyShare