Sustaining attention in affective contexts during adolescence: age-related differences and association with elevated symptoms of depression and anxiety

Figures & data

Table 1. Means, standard deviations and range of scores of the main task variables.

	M (SD)	Range
aSART
Commission errors negative condition (raw scores)	16.67 (6.49)	0–30
Commission errors neutral condition (raw scores)	16.24 (6.38)	0–30
RT variance negative condition (ms)	0.33 (.13)	0.11–0.92
RT variance neutral condition (ms)	0.32 (.12)	0.12–0.80
IQ (standard scores)	113.23 (17.05)	76–158
Depression (raw scores)	17.33 (10.49)	0–56
Anxiety (raw scores)	12.96 (7.93)	0–40

Note: aSART: Affective Sustained Attention to Response Task; RT: Reaction time.

Figure 1. Example of aSART trial sequence.

Table 2. Correlations between independent variables.

	Gender	IQ	CES-D	Anxiety
Age (years)	−.18**	.01	.19**	.02
Gender		.08	−.23**	−.22**
IQ (standard score)			.01	.03
Depression (raw score)				.62**

**P < .01.

Figure 2. Mean numbers of aSART commission errors (with one standard error mean) in negative and neutral conditions showing reduced errors across both conditions with older age, from 11 to 18 years.

Figure 3. Mean aSART RT variance (with shading indicating one standard error of the mean mean) in negative and neutral conditions, showing reduced RT variance across both conditions with older age, across ages 11 to 18 years.

Table 3. Means and standard deviations for age, IQ and depression for those characterised as at risk and at lower risk of depression.

	Lower risk (n = 229; Females n = 132)		At risk (n = 217; Females n = 161)
	M	SD	M	SD	p
Age (years)	14.16	1.71	14.71	1.89	<.01*
IQ (standard score)	113.09	17.36	113.39	16.74	.85
Depression (raw score)	9.49	3.90	25.61	8.74	<.01*
Anxiety (raw score)	9.36	6.20	16.76	7.79	<.01*