AbstractCognitiveviewsonanxietyhaveproposedthatattentionalbiasestowardsthreateninginformationinhightraitanxiousindividualsplayanimportantroleinthemaintenanceofanxietyandmayevencausethedevelopmentofclinicalanxietydis-orders
However,theprecisenatureoftheseattentionalbiasesisunderdebate
Inapictorialversionofthedotprobetask,twoaccountsofattentiontothreatwerecon-trastedandthecomponentsofattentioninvolvedinorientingtothreatwereassessed
Overall,theresultssupporttheviewthatallindividualsorienttohighlythreateningpictures,withhightraitanxiousindividualsorientingmorestronglytomoderatelythreateningpicturesthanthelowtraitanxiousindividuals
Attentionalbiastothreatinhightraitanxiousindividualswascausedbyattentionaldisengagementfromthreat
Theseresultsarediscussedinrelationtocognitivemodelsofattentiontothr