Executive control of attention in individuals with contamination-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
BACKGROUND
In this study, we examined executive control of attention in individuals with contamination-related obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms using a modified version of the Eriksen flanker task. The task indexes one's ability to resolve attentional conflict between different responses and to ignore task distracters.


METHODS
For this study, we modified the original flanker task using affective words to examine the effect of threat-relevant stimuli on executive control of attention. Consistent with research on information processing biases in individuals with OC symptoms, we hypothesized that the flanker interference effect (i.e., difference in response latencies between incongruent and congruent flanker trials) will be greater for threat-related flankers in individuals with OC symptoms (n=32), relative to a control group (n=36).


RESULTS
Results of our study were consistent with our hypothesis: The interference effect for threat flankers was greater in individuals with OC symptoms than in those low in symptoms. Moreover, there was no differential interference effect in the low and high symptom groups for neutral flankers.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that the presence of threat-relevant distracters disrupts executive control of attention in individuals with contamination-related OC symptoms. These results are consistent with extant research on attentional biases in individuals with clinical and subclinical symptoms of OCD.
Najmi
Sadia
S
Joint Doctoral Program of San Diego State University/University of California-San Diego, CA, USA.
Hindash
Alexandra Cowden
AC
Amir
Nader
N
D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time; D057566:Self Report; D055815:Young Adult
J Pers Soc Psychol. 1988 Dec;55(6):958-66
3216290
Q J Exp Psychol (Hove). 2006 Jan;59(1):190-203
16556567
J Anxiety Disord. 2007;21(3):394-406
16814981
Dev Psychopathol. 2000 Summer;12(3):427-41
11014746
J Consult Clin Psychol. 2009 Oct;77(5):961-973
19803575
Br J Clin Psychol. 1997 Feb;36(1):3-20
9051274
Depress Anxiety. 2008;25(3):225-9
17405162
Behav Res Ther. 1996 Jan;34(1):53-60
8561765
J Abnorm Psychol. 2001 Feb;110(1):157-72
11261391
J Cogn Neurosci. 2009 Sep;21(9):1842-55
18823233
Behav Res Ther. 1985;23(5):571-83
4051930
Behav Res Ther. 2004 Jan;42(1):115-23
14992204
Behav Res Ther. 1997 Sep;35(9):793-802
9299799
J Anxiety Disord. 2005;19(1):1-28
15488365
J Abnorm Psychol. 2002 May;111(2):225-36
12003445
J Abnorm Psychol. 2008 Nov;117(4):860-868
19025232
J Anxiety Disord. 1998 Nov-Dec;12(6):579-98
9879037
Psychol Rep. 2005 Oct;97(2):515-26
16342579
Behav Res Ther. 1989;27(6):677-82; discussion 683-4
2610662
Trends Cogn Sci. 2005 May;9(5):242-9
15866151
Dev Psychopathol. 1997 Fall;9(4):633-52
9448999
Emotion. 2003 Dec;3(4):327-43
14674827
Psychol Assess. 2002 Dec;14(4):485-96
12501574
Psychol Sci. 2007 Oct;18(10):893-900
17894607
J Exp Psychol Gen. 2008 May;137(2):201-225
18473654
Neuropsychologia. 2007 Apr 8;45(7):1408-19
17178419
Behav Res Ther. 2009 Feb;47(2):153-7
19046576
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2008;1129:193-9
18591480
Behav Res Ther. 1994 Feb;32(2):243-6
8155063
J Abnorm Psychol. 2009 Feb;118(1):28-33
19222311
Behav Res Ther. 2009 May;47(5):410-7
19246028
J Abnorm Psychol. 2009 Feb;118(1):5-14
19222309
J Cogn Neurosci. 2002 Apr 1;14(3):340-7
11970796
J Anxiety Disord. 1998 Jul-Aug;12(4):271-92
9699114
Emotion. 2006 Feb;6(1):28-39
16637748