The effects of inattention on selective attention: How sadness and ruminations alter attention functions evaluated with the Attention Network Test

In two in-laboratory studies, we investigated the influence of inattention when caused by sadness and ruminations on attention functions. Being sad and ruminating over negative thoughts involves a long-lasting attentional self-focus, altering the ability to process relevant information from the environment. It subsequently leads to inattention, considered as a very specific attention deficit. In a preliminary methodological study, it was demonstrated that the combined imagery vignettes and music procedure was efficient to induce sadness and ruminations, propitious to inattention. Then, in a second experiment, sadness and ruminations were induced with this procedure in order to provoke inattention. The effects of inattention on selective attention processes were assessed using the Attention Network Test, which discriminates between three independent attention functions: alerting, orienting and conflict. Results on reaction times showed that only the orienting function was affected when inattentive, with a significant alteration on spatial information processing. These results were discussed in the light of the literature on emotion and attention. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.