Anzulewicz, A. , Taraday, M. & Walentowska, W.
Institute of Psychology. Jagiellonian University. Cracow, Poland.
Attentional biases toward threat-related stimuli have been observed in a number of studies and are considered as a robust phenomenon. Moreover, attentional bias research suggest that these biases occur in equal magnitude in all anxiety-related disorders. The aim of the presented study was to examine the processing of emotional stimuli (angry vs neutral faces) in low and high anxious individuals. Based on attentional control theory, we hypothesize that anxiety disrupts the two central cognitive functions: inhibition and shifting. In order to assess attentional control, a modified anti-saccade task was used. The modification allowed the assesment of not only inhibition (as is done in its classical version) but also the shifting function. Preliminary results conform predictions of attentional control theory. Furthermore, it was shown that relatively slight differences in intensity of trait anxiety can lead to significant decrease in inhibition function. Further data is beeing collected.