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Biased attention to threat and anxiety: on taking a developmental approach

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Version 2 2023-06-07, 08:24
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journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 08:24 authored by Jessica L Burris, Kristin Buss, Vanessa LoBue, Koraly Pérez-Edgar, Andy FieldAndy Field
Several researchers have proposed a causal relation between biased attention to threat and the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders in both children and adults. However, despite the widely-documented correlation between attention bias to threat and anxiety, developmental research in this domain is limited. In this review, we highlight the importance of taking a developmental approach to studying attention biases to threat and anxiety. First, we discuss how recent developmental work on attention to threat fits into existing theoretical frameworks for the development of anxiety, and how attention biases might interact with other risk factors across development. Then we review the developmental literature on attention bias to threat and anxiety, and describe how classic methodologies can be modified to study attention biases in even the youngest infants. Finally, we discuss limitations and future directions in this domain, emphasizing the need for future longitudinal research beginning in early infancy that tracks concurrent developments in both biased attention and anxiety. Altogether, we hope that by highlighting the importance of development in the study of attention bias to threat and anxiety, we can provide a roadmap for how researchers might implement developmental approaches to studying a potential core mechanism in anxiety.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Journal of Experimental Psychopathology

ISSN

2043-8087

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Issue

3

Volume

10

Page range

1-21

Department affiliated with

  • Psychology Publications

Research groups affiliated with

  • Developmental and Clinical Psychology Research Group Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2019-06-25

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2019-06-25

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2019-06-24

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