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Electrophysiological evidence for greater attention to threat when cognitive control resources are depleted

Electrophysiological evidence for greater attention to threat when cognitive control resources are depleted
Electrophysiological evidence for greater attention to threat when cognitive control resources are depleted
In this study, we investigated the time course of attentional bias for threat-related (angry) facial expressions under conditions of high versus low cognitive (working memory) load. Event-related potential (ERP) and reaction time (RT) data were recorded while participants viewed pairs of faces (angry paired with neutral face) displayed for 500 ms and followed by a probe. Participants were required to respond to the probe while performing a concurrent task of holding in working memory a sequence of digits that were either in the same order (low memory load) or in a random mixed order (high memory load). The ERP results revealed that higher working memory load resulted in enhanced lateralized neural responses to threatening relative to neutral faces, consistent with greater initial orienting of attention to threatening faces (early N2pc: 180 – 252 ms) and enhanced maintenance of processing representations of threat (late N2pc, 252 – 320 ms; SPCN, 320 – 500 ms). The ERP indices showed significant positive relationships with each other, and also with the behavioral index of attentional bias to threat (reflected by faster RTs to probes replacing angry than neutral faces at 500 ms), although the latter index was not significantly influenced by memory load. Overall, the findings indicate that depletion of cognitive control resources, using a working memory manipulation, increases the capacity of task-irrelevant threat cues to capture and hold attention.
erp, attentional bias, threat, n2pc, spcn
1530-7026
827-835
Holmes, A.
e76ecadd-ccc4-425e-9756-14403151764f
Mogg, K.
5f1474af-85f5-4fd3-8eb6-0371be848e30
de Fockert, J.
c2d1616a-e2db-4f45-99fb-27b5c3c9ae00
Nielsen, M.K.
ce8e1109-8922-4ee8-9448-d0b8afbbfcd5
Bradley, B.P.
bdacaa6c-528b-4086-9448-27ebfe463514
Holmes, A.
e76ecadd-ccc4-425e-9756-14403151764f
Mogg, K.
5f1474af-85f5-4fd3-8eb6-0371be848e30
de Fockert, J.
c2d1616a-e2db-4f45-99fb-27b5c3c9ae00
Nielsen, M.K.
ce8e1109-8922-4ee8-9448-d0b8afbbfcd5
Bradley, B.P.
bdacaa6c-528b-4086-9448-27ebfe463514

Holmes, A., Mogg, K., de Fockert, J., Nielsen, M.K. and Bradley, B.P. (2014) Electrophysiological evidence for greater attention to threat when cognitive control resources are depleted. Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience, 14 (2), 827-835. (doi:10.3758/s13415-013-0212-4).

Record type: Article

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the time course of attentional bias for threat-related (angry) facial expressions under conditions of high versus low cognitive (working memory) load. Event-related potential (ERP) and reaction time (RT) data were recorded while participants viewed pairs of faces (angry paired with neutral face) displayed for 500 ms and followed by a probe. Participants were required to respond to the probe while performing a concurrent task of holding in working memory a sequence of digits that were either in the same order (low memory load) or in a random mixed order (high memory load). The ERP results revealed that higher working memory load resulted in enhanced lateralized neural responses to threatening relative to neutral faces, consistent with greater initial orienting of attention to threatening faces (early N2pc: 180 – 252 ms) and enhanced maintenance of processing representations of threat (late N2pc, 252 – 320 ms; SPCN, 320 – 500 ms). The ERP indices showed significant positive relationships with each other, and also with the behavioral index of attentional bias to threat (reflected by faster RTs to probes replacing angry than neutral faces at 500 ms), although the latter index was not significantly influenced by memory load. Overall, the findings indicate that depletion of cognitive control resources, using a working memory manipulation, increases the capacity of task-irrelevant threat cues to capture and hold attention.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 29 October 2013
Published date: 2014
Keywords: erp, attentional bias, threat, n2pc, spcn
Organisations: Clinical Neuroscience

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 360103
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/360103
ISSN: 1530-7026
PURE UUID: f3f29805-1e4a-49e0-9ad7-3956f1c7955c
ORCID for B.P. Bradley: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-2801-4271

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 26 Nov 2013 10:27
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:08

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Contributors

Author: A. Holmes
Author: K. Mogg
Author: J. de Fockert
Author: M.K. Nielsen
Author: B.P. Bradley ORCID iD

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