title: Is trait resilience characterized by specific patterns of attentional bias to emotional stimuli and attentional control?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Attentional processes have been suggested to play a crucial role in resilience defined as positive adaptation facing adversity. However, research is lacking on associations between attentional biases to positive and threat-related stimuli, attentional control and trait resilience.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data stem from the follow-up assessment of a longitudinal study investigating mental health and related factors among German soldiers. Trait resilience was assessed with the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and attentional control with the Attentional Control Scale. A subset of n = 198 soldiers also completed a dot probe task with happy, neutral and threatening faces.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Attentional control was positively related to trait resilience. Results revealed no associations between both attentional biases and trait resilience. However, there was a negative association between attentional bias to threat and trait resilience when attentional control was low and a positive association between attentional bias to threat and trait resilience when attentional control was high. No such associations were found for attentional bias to positive stimuli.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Generalizability to other populations may be limited since we exclusively focused on male soldiers. Also, the cross-sectional design does not allow for causal conclusions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest that attentional processing may promote trait resilience. Future research on preventive interventions should consider these findings.
authors: Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Chemnitzer Str. 46, D-01187 Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: judith.schaefer@tu-dresden.de.
authors: Judith
authors: J
authors: Schäfer
authors: Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Center of Epidemiology and Longitudinal Studies (CELOS), Chemnitzer Str. 46, D-01187 Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: hans-ulrich.wittchen@tu-dresden.de.
authors: Hans-Ulrich
authors: HU
authors: Wittchen
authors: Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Center of Epidemiology and Longitudinal Studies (CELOS), Chemnitzer Str. 46, D-01187 Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: hoefler@psychologie.tu-dresden.de.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Höfler
authors: Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Center of Epidemiology and Longitudinal Studies (CELOS), Chemnitzer Str. 46, D-01187 Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: Anke.Heinrich@tu-dresden.de.
authors: Anke
authors: A
authors: Heinrich
authors: German Armed Forces Center of Military Mental Health, Scharnhorststraße 13, D-10115 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: peter1zimmermann@bundeswehr.org.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Zimmermann
authors: German Armed Forces Center of Military Mental Health, Scharnhorststraße 13, D-10115 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: siegel@ptzbw.de.
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Siegel
authors: Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Chemnitzer Str. 46, D-01187 Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: schoenfeld@psychologie.tu-dresden.de.
authors: Sabine
authors: S
authors: Schönfeld
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attentional bias; Attentional control; Resiliency/resilience; Soldiers