Anticipated attack slows responses in a cued virtual attack emotional Sternberg Task

Threatening stimuli have varying effects, including reaction time (RT) increase in working memory tasks. This could reflect disruption of or, alternatively, a reversible state freezing. In the current series experiments, slowing due to anticipated threat was studied using cued Virtual Attack Emotional Sternberg Task (cVAEST). this task visually neutral cues indicate whether future virtual attack or not occur during maintenance period task. Three studies (N = 47, 40, and respectively) were performed by healthy adult participants online. The primary hypothesis that cVAEST would evoke anticipatory slowing. Further, aimed explore details novel task, particular interval between cue probe set size. all it found anticipation slowed RTs on Study 1 (memory size 3) showed decrease RT when occurred over Cue Stimulus Intervals (CSIs). 2 minimal one item used, under which circumstances following attacks only faster shortly after presentation (CSI 200 500 ms), high for both safe cues. 3 replicated results with more fine-grained intervals. confirm can reversibly slow responses an independent may provide useful method study such threat-induced response