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Mood congruent Bias in Interpretation of Ambiguity Strategic Processes and Temporary Activation.
- Source :
-
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology: Section A . Feb97, Vol. 50 Issue 1, p163-182. 20p. - Publication Year :
- 1997
-
Abstract
- Three experimentsinvestigated the tendency of high-anxiety individuals to interpretambiguous information in a threatening fashion. Priming ambiguous sentences (concerned with ego-threat, physical-threat, or non-threat events) were presented, followed by a disambiguating sentence in which a target word either confirmed or disconfirmed the consequence implied by the priming context. The sentences were presented word-by-word at a predetermined pace. Subjects read the sentences and pronounced the target word (naming task), which appeared either 500 msec or 1,250 msec after the onset of the last word (pre-target word) in the priming context. Results indicated that high-anxiety subjects named target words confirming threats faster than low-anxiety subjects, relative to non-threat words. Furthermore, this interpretative bias is: (a) strategic, rather than automatic, as it occurred with a 1,250-msec SOA, but not with a 500-msec SOA; (b) temporary, as it was found under evaluative stress conditions increasing state anxiety, butnot withnon-stress; and (c) specificto ego-threats, as it happened with ambiguous information concerning self-esteem and social evaluation, rather than with physical-threat-related information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *ANXIETY
*PRIMING (Psychology)
*THREAT (Psychology)
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 02724987
- Volume :
- 50
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology: Section A
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 7615732
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/027249897392279