Anxiety-potentiated startle is greater during low- and medium-load tasks than during the high-load task in both age groups¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3 · i3 large
Currency · newest study 2016 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i3 Anxiety-potentiated startle ([threat – safe] startle) was greater during the 1-back and 2-back tasks than the 3-back task. → Patel Nilam 2016

Evidence¶

Patel Nilam 2016¶

Patel Nilam, Vytal Katherine, Pavletic Nevia, Stoodley Catherine, Pine Daniel S., Grillon Christian, Ernst Monique. (2016). Interaction of Threat and Verbal Working Memory in Adolescents. Psychophysiology. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.12582

q3 · i3 · causal · r2

rANOVA on the anxiety-potentiated startle difference score with Load as within-subjects factor and Group as between-subjects factor, in the same 50-participant experiment. The analysis showed "greater anxiety-potentiated startle during the 1-back and 2-back tasks compared to the 3-back task (ps < .01)" with ηp2 = .34.

"Results revealed a main effect of Load (F(3,144) = 24.96, p < .001, ηp2 = .34) that showed greater anxiety-potentiated startle during the 1-back and 2-back tasks compared to the 3-back task (ps < .01)"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Adults show higher overall working memory accuracy than adolescents, and adults but not adolescents increase startle reactivity with load — related
• Threat of an aversive scream lowers verbal working memory accuracy at low and medium load but not at high load in both adolescents and adults — related
• The threat-of-scream manipulation successfully induced sustained anxiety, with equivalent subjective and startle responses in adolescents and adults — related
• Reaction times are faster during threat than safe conditions only on the high-load (3-back) task, in both adolescents and adults — related
• No age differences emerge in how threat and cognitive load interact on working memory accuracy or reaction time — related