Attentional Bias for Emotional Information in Older Adults The Role of Emotion and Future Time Perspective.docVIP

AttentionalBiasforEmotionalInformationinOlder Adults:TheRoleofEmotionandFutureTimePerspective InekeDemeyer*,RudiDeRaedt DepartmentofExperimentalClinicalandHealthPsychology,GhentUniversity,Ghent,Belgium Abstract Objectives:Researchsuggeststhatolderadultsdisplayapositivitybiasatthelevelofinformationprocessing.However, because studies investigating attentional bias for emotional information in older adults have produced mixed findings, research identifying inter-individual differences that may explain these inconsistent results is necessary. Therefore, we investigated whether mood, symptoms of depression, symptoms of anxiety and future time perspective are related to attentionalbiasinolderadults. Method:Thirty-sevenhealthyolderadultsand25healthymiddle-agedadultscompletedquestionnairestoassessmood, symptomsofdepression,symptomsofanxietyandfuturetimeperspective.Attentionalbiastowardshappy,sadandneutral information was measured using a modified exogenous cueing paradigm with long cue presentations, to measure maintainedattentionversusavoidanceofemotionalstimuli. Results:Olderadultsshowedattentionalavoidanceforallemotionalfaces,whereasnoattentionalbiaseswerefoundinthe middle-agedgroup.Moreover,intheolderadultgroup,avoidancefornegativeinformationwasrelatedtoanxiety.Future timeperspectivewasunrelatedtoattentionalbias. Discussion:Thesefindingssuggestthatanxietymayleadtointer-individualdifferencesinattentionalbiasinolderadults, andthatavoidancefromnegativeinformationmaybeanemotionregulationstrategy. Citation: Demeyer I, De Raedt R (2013) Attentional Bias for Emotional Information in Older Adults: The Role of Emotion and Future Time Perspective. PLoS ONE8(6):e65429.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0065429 Editor:FrankKrueger,GeorgeMasonUniversity/KrasnowInstituteforAdvancedStudy,UnitedStatesofAmerica ReceivedOctober26,2012;AcceptedApril29,2013;PublishedJune4,2013 Copyright:?2013Demeyer,DeRaedt.Thisisanopen-accessarticledistributedunderthetermsoftheCreativeCommonsAttributionLicense,wh