title: Anxiety and cognitive performance: attentional control theory.
abstract: Attentional control theory is an approach to anxiety and cognition representing a major development of Eysenck and Calvo's (1992) processing efficiency theory. It is assumed that anxiety impairs efficient functioning of the goal-directed attentional system and increases the extent to which processing is influenced by the stimulus-driven attentional system. In addition to decreasing attentional control, anxiety increases attention to threat-related stimuli. Adverse effects of anxiety on processing efficiency depend on two central executive functions involving attentional control: inhibition and shifting. However, anxiety may not impair performance effectiveness (quality of performance) when it leads to the use of compensatory strategies (e.g., enhanced effort; increased use of processing resources). Directions for future research are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, London, United Kingdom. m.eysenck@rhul.ac.uk
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Eysenck
authors.forename: Nazanin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Derakshan
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Manuel G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Calvo
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention; D004526:Efficiency; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D011340:Problem Solving; D011930:Reaction Time