Interference and bias paradigms in anxiety research: A theoretical overview

A wealth of research demonstrates attentional biases toward threat in people with elevated levels of anxiety and anxiety disorders. Several models have been developed to explain these biases. In the present article, evidence regarding the mechanisms of attentional processes is reviewed by carefully examining the components of cognitive models and the mechanisms underlying these components. First, the concepts of schema, control, and bias in the interplay of automatic and controlled processes are introduced. Then, a theoretical fractionation of control functions is described, and it is pointed out how these functions could counteract biases at different processing stages. Next, some of the most frequently used bias paradigms in anxiety research are outlined, and it is discussed which processes they may tap. Finally, situational influences and moderators of cognitive biases are considered and recommendations for future research are offered.