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Predicting Interpersonal Outcomes From Information Processing Tasks Using Personally Relevant and Generic Stimuli: A Methodology Study

Title:

Predicting Interpersonal Outcomes From Information Processing Tasks Using Personally Relevant and Generic Stimuli: A Methodology Study

Serravalle, Lisa, Tsekova, Virginia and Ellenbogen, Mark A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8928-5492 (2020) Predicting Interpersonal Outcomes From Information Processing Tasks Using Personally Relevant and Generic Stimuli: A Methodology Study. Frontiers in Psychology, 11 (543596.). ISSN 1664-1078

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.543596

Abstract

Despite evidence of differential processing of personally relevant stimuli (PR), most studies investigating attentional biases in processing emotional content use generic stimuli. We sought to examine differences in the processing of PR, relative to generic, stimuli across information processing tasks and to validate their use in predicting concurrent interpersonal functioning. Fifty participants (25 female) viewed generic and PR (i.e., their intimate partner’s face) emotional stimuli during tasks assessing selective attention (using a modified version of the Spatial Cueing Task) and inhibition (using the Negative Affective Priming task) of emotional content. Ratings of relationship quality were also collected. Evidence of increased selective attention during controlled and greater avoidance during automatic stages of processing emerged when viewing PR, relative to generic, emotional faces. We also found greater inhibition of PR sad faces. Finally, male, but not female, participants who displayed greater difficulty disengaging from the sad face of their partner reported more conflict in their relationships. Taken together, findings from information processing studies using generic emotional stimuli may not be representative of how we process PR stimuli in naturalistic settings.

Divisions:Concordia University > Research Units > Centre for Research in Human Development
Item Type:Article
Refereed:Yes
Authors:Serravalle, Lisa and Tsekova, Virginia and Ellenbogen, Mark A.
Journal or Publication:Frontiers in Psychology
Date:2020
Funders:
  • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):10.3389/fpsyg.2020.543596
Keywords:information processing, personally relevant stimuli, interpersonal outcomes, emotion, attentional biases
ID Code:987491
Deposited By: MARK ELLENBOGEN
Deposited On:05 Oct 2020 17:14
Last Modified:05 Oct 2020 17:14

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