Effects of state anxiety on performance using a task-switching paradigm: An investigation of attentional control theory

Derakshan, Nazanin; Smyth, Sinead; Eysenck, Michael W · 2009 · Psychonomic Bulletin & Review

DOI: 10.3758/pbr.16.6.1112

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Summary

This study investigates the effects of state anxiety on cognitive performance, specifically testing predictions derived from Attentional Control Theory (ACT). ACT posits that anxiety impairs the central executive’s attentional control processes, particularly the shifting function required to switch attention between tasks. While previous research supported the theory’s claim that anxiety impairs inhibition, evidence regarding its impact on shifting was limited. The authors aimed to determine whether high state anxiety would impair task-switching performance more than non-switching performance, and whether this impairment would be exacerbated by high task complexity and the absence of explicit cues. The experiment involved 59 undergraduate participants who were categorized into low- and high-anxiety groups based on their state anxiety scores measured via the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory. Participants performed a computerized task-switching paradigm involving arithmetic problems. The design manipulated three factors: task type (repetitive vs. switching between addition/subtraction or multiplication/division), rule complexity (low vs. high), and cuing (present vs. absent). Reaction times and error rates were recorded across 12 experimental blocks. The study assumed that switching tasks, high-complexity problems, and uncued trials would place greater demands on attentional control. The results supported the theoretical predictions. A significant interaction between state anxiety and task type revealed that high-anxious participants responded significantly more slowly on switching trials compared to repetitive trials, whereas low-anxious participants showed no such difference. This impairment was further qualified by a three-way interaction involving complexity: the adverse effect of anxiety on switching was significant only for high-complexity tasks (multiplication/division), not low-complexity ones. Additionally, high-anxious participants exhibited a switch cost, while low-anxious participants showed a slight switch gain. Regarding cuing, high-anxious individuals tended to perform better when cues were present, suggesting a reliance on external aids to compensate for impaired shifting, whereas low-anxious individuals performed better without cues on repetitive tasks, indicating that cues may have been distracting in those conditions. These findings provide empirical support for Attentional Control Theory, confirming that state anxiety specifically impairs the shifting function of the central executive. The study demonstrates that this impairment is not uniform but depends on cognitive load; anxiety disrupts task switching primarily when tasks are complex and demand high levels of attentional control. The results imply that high-anxious individuals may rely more heavily on external cues to maintain performance. This research clarifies the specific executive functions affected by anxiety and highlights the importance of task complexity in understanding anxiety’s cognitive consequences, offering a foundation for future investigations into the mechanisms of attentional control under stress.

Key finding

State anxiety impairs the shifting function of the central executive: high-anxious individuals show disproportionate performance costs in task-switching and high-complexity, uncued conditions, consistent with Attentional Control Theory.

Methodology

mixed_methods

Sample size: N=59 undergraduates

Provenance

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Topics

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• task switching