Positive affect increases the breadth of attentional selection

Edited by Edward E. Smith, Columbia University, New York, NY, and approved October 29, 2006
January 2, 2007
104 (1) 383-388

Abstract

The present study examined the thesis that positive affect may serve to broaden the scope of attentional filters, reducing their selectivity. The effect of positive mood states was measured in two different cognitive domains: semantic search (remote associates task) and visual selective attention (Eriksen flanker task). In the conceptual domain, positive affect enhanced access to remote associates, suggesting an increase in the scope of semantic access. In the visuospatial domain, positive affect impaired visual selective attention by increasing processing of spatially adjacent flanking distractors, suggesting an increase in the scope of visuospatial attention. During positive states, individual differences in enhanced semantic access were correlated with the degree of impaired visual selective attention. These findings demonstrate that positive states, by loosening the reins on inhibitory control, result in a fundamental change in the breadth of attentional allocation to both external visual and internal conceptual space.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Itria Ma, Stephanie Tsicos, and Angela Romano for assisting with data collection and Lynn Hasher for generously providing testing space for pilot data collection. This work was funded by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council discovery grant (A.K.A.).

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Information & Authors

Information

Published in

The cover image for PNAS Vol.104; No.1
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Vol. 104 | No. 1
January 2, 2007
PubMed: 17182749

Classifications

Submission history

Received: June 21, 2006
Published online: January 2, 2007
Published in issue: January 2, 2007

Keywords

  1. attention
  2. emotion
  3. creativity
  4. inhibition
  5. problem solving

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Itria Ma, Stephanie Tsicos, and Angela Romano for assisting with data collection and Lynn Hasher for generously providing testing space for pilot data collection. This work was funded by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council discovery grant (A.K.A.).

Notes

This article is a PNAS direct submission.

Authors

Affiliations

G. Rowe
Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3G3; and
J. B. Hirsh
Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3G3; and
A. K. Anderson [email protected]
Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3G3; and
Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Toronto, ON, Canada M6A 2E1

Notes

To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected]
Author contributions: G.R., J.B.H., and A.K.A. designed research; G.R. and J.B.H. performed research; G.R. and A.K.A. analyzed data; and G.R. and A.K.A. wrote the paper.

Competing Interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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    Positive affect increases the breadth of attentional selection
    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
    • Vol. 104
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    • pp. 1-395

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