Research in Brief: The effects of anxiety, neuroticism and extraversion on attentional biases towards emotional stimuli

Abstract

Past research indicates associations between anxiety, neuroticism and attentional biases towards negative stimuli. The current study investigated whether levels of extraversion, neuroticism and anxiety impacted attentional biases towards emotional stimuli. Twenty-eight participants completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, before completing an exogenous cueing task whereby stimuli varying in valence were used as valid or invalid cues towards a target. Responses in valid trials were significantly quicker when the stimuli were positive, suggesting an attentional bias towards positive stimuli. No effects of individual differences were found. Future research and implications in relation to therapeutic applications are discussed.