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Can bottom‐up processes of attention be a source of ‘interference’ in situations where top‐down control of attention is crucial?
Author(s) -
Nikolla Dritan,
Edgar Graham,
Catherwood Dianne,
Matthews Tristan
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
british journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.536
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8295
pISSN - 0007-1269
DOI - 10.1111/bjop.12251
Subject(s) - psychology , top down and bottom up design , control (management) , selective attention , cognitive psychology , interference (communication) , attentional control , cognition , neuroscience , artificial intelligence , computer science , telecommunications , channel (broadcasting) , software engineering
In this study, we investigate whether emotionally engaged bottom‐up processes of attention can be a source of ‘interference’ in situations where top‐down control of attention is necessary. Participants were asked to monitor and report on a video of a war scenario showing a developing battle in two conditions: emotionally positive and emotionally negative. Half of the participants ( n = 15) were exposed to task‐irrelevant pictures of positive emotional valence embedded within the scenario; the other half were exposed to task‐irrelevant pictures of negative emotional valence. Sensitivity and Bias scores were calculated using signal detection theory. Overall, task accuracy scores were dependent upon the valence; negative pictures had an adverse effect on performance, whereas positive pictures improved performance. We concluded that negative emotional pictures interfered with top‐down control of attention by attracting competing bottom‐up processes of attention. We found the opposite effect for positive emotional stimuli.