title: Visual attention in violent offenders: Susceptibility to distraction.
abstract: Impairments in executive functioning give rise to reduced control of behavior and impulses, and are therefore a risk factor for violence and criminal behavior. However, the contribution of specific underlying processes remains unclear. A crucial element of executive functioning, and essential for cognitive control and goal-directed behavior, is visual attention. To further elucidate the importance of attentional functioning in the general offender population, we employed an attentional capture task to measure visual attention. We expected offenders to have impaired visual attention, as revealed by increased attentional capture, compared to healthy controls. When comparing the performance of 62 offenders to 69 healthy community controls, we found our hypothesis to be partly confirmed. Offenders were more accurate overall, more accurate in the absence of distracting information, suggesting superior attention. In the presence of distracting information offenders were significantly less accurate compared to when no distracting information was present. Together, these findings indicate that violent offenders may have superior attention, yet worse control over attention. As such, violent offenders may have trouble adjusting to unexpected, irrelevant stimuli, which may relate to failures in self-regulation and inhibitory control.
authors.affiliation: Tactus, Addiction Care, Velperbuitensingel 6, 6828 CT Arnhem, The Netherlands. Electronic address: jantineslotboom@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Jantine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Slotboom
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: hoppenbrouwers@fsw.eur.nl.
authors.forename: Sylco S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Hoppenbrouwers
authors.affiliation: Stichting Transfore, Forensic Care, Pikeursbaan 21, 7411 GT Deventer, The Netherlands. Electronic address: y.bouman@transfore.nl.
authors.forename: Yvonne H A
authors.initials: YHA
authors.lastname: Bouman
authors.affiliation: Forensic Psychiatric Centre Oostvaarderskliniek, Carl Barksweg 3, 1336 ZL Almere, The Netherlands. Electronic address: w.in.t.hout@propersona.nl.
authors.forename: Willem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: In 't Hout
authors.affiliation: Forensic Psychiatric Centre Oostvaarderskliniek, Carl Barksweg 3, 1336 ZL Almere, The Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Psychology Vrije Universiteit, Van der Boechorstraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: cs.sergiou@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sergiou
authors.affiliation: Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: s.vanderstigchel@uu.nl.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van der Stigchel
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Psychology Vrije Universiteit, Van der Boechorstraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: j.theeuwes@vu.nl.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Theeuwes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D057237:Criminals / Q000523:psychology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D011930:Reaction Time; D012309:Risk-Taking; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D014796:Visual Perception; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aggression; Attention; Executive function; Inhibitory control; Offenders