The influence of motivational and mood states on visual attention: A quantification of systematic differences and casual changes in subjects' focus of attention

• Published in: Cognition and emotion Vol. 29; no. 3; pp. 471 - 483
• Main Authors: Hüttermann, Stefanie, Memmert, Daniel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Routledge 03.04.2015; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Acoustic Stimulation; Adolescent; Adult; Affect; Aged; Attention; Attentional focus; Attentional processes; Auditory Perception; Breadth of attention; Change agents; Female; Focused attention; Humans; Male; Measurement; Middle Aged; Mood; Motivation; Music; Orientation behavior; Photic Stimulation; Regulatory focus; Valence; Visual attention; Visual Perception; Young Adult; Breadth of attention; Regulatory focus; Valence; Attentional focus
• ISSN: 0269-9931; 1464-0600; 1464-0600
• DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2014.920767

A great number of studies have shown that different motivational and mood states can influence human attentional processes in a variety of ways. Yet, none of these studies have reliably quantified the exact changes of the attentional focus in order to be able to compare attentional performances based on different motivational and mood influences and, beyond that, to evaluate their effectivity. In two studies, we explored subjects' differences in the breadth and distribution of attention as a function of motivational and mood manipulations. In Study 1, motivational orientation was classified in terms of regulatory focus (promotion vs. prevention) and in Study 2, mood was classified in terms of valence (positive vs. negative). Study 1 found a 10% wider distribution of the visual attention in promotion-oriented subjects compared to prevention-oriented ones. The results in Study 2 reveal a widening of the subjects' visual attentional breadth when listening to happy music by 22% and a narrowing by 36% when listening to melancholic music. In total, the findings show that systematic differences and casual changes in the shape and scope of focused attention may be associated with different motivational and mood states.