Threat-related Attentional Bias in Anxious Youth: a Review

Overview

Journal Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev

Publisher Springer

Specialties Pediatrics
Psychology

Date 2006 Oct 21

PMID 17053961

Citations 58

Authors

Anthony C Puliafico

Philip C Kendall

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The research literature suggests that children and adolescents suffering from anxiety disorders experience cognitive distortions that magnify their perceived level of threat in the environment. Of these distortions, an attentional bias toward threat-related information has received the most theoretical and empirical consideration. A large volume of research suggests that anxiety-disordered youth selectively allocate their attention toward threat-related information. The present review critically examines this research and highlights several issues relevant to the study of threat-related attentional bias in youth, including the influences of temperament, trait anxiety, and state anxiety on threat-related attentional bias. It furthermore identifies the need for developmental and methodological considerations and recommends directions for research.

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