The effects of anxiety on attentional processes in older adults

Abstract

This study explored one cognitive component of anxiety—selective attention to threat—among older adults. The effects of anxiety on attentional processes have not previously been studied in older adults under laboratory conditions. A novel age-appropriate mood induction technique was piloted for use with older participants. Sixty-eight older adults were randomly assigned to neutral or anxious mood induction conditions, and completed emotional Stroop and dot-probe tasks. Significant selective attention effects were found in older adults induced into an anxious mood. Results suggest that anxious older adults are at least as hyper-vigilant to mood congruent threatening information as has been shown with younger adults in other studies. These findings provide support for the application of these theories to older adults.