Human visual attention is biased to rapidly detect threats in the environment so that our nervous system can initiate quick reactions. The processes underlying threat detection (and how they operate under cognitive load), however, are still poorly understood. Thus, we sought to test the impact of task-irrelevant threatening stimuli on the salience network and executive control of attention during low and high cognitive load. Participants were exposed to neutral or threatening pictures (with moderate and high arousal levels) as task-irrelevant distractors in near (parafoveal) and far (peripheral) positions while searching for numbers in ascending order in a matrix array. We measured reaction times and recorded eye-movements. Our results showed that task-irrelevant distractors primarily influenced behavioural measures during high cognitive load. The distracting effect of threatening images with moderate arousal level slowed reaction times for finding the first number. However, this slowing was offset by high arousal threatening stimuli, leading to overall shorter search times. Eye-tracking measures showed that participants fixated threatening pictures more later and for shorter durations compared to neutral images. Together, our results indicate a complex relationship between threats and attention that results not in a unitary bias but in a sequence of effects that unfold over time.

中文翻译：

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与任务无关的威胁刺激对认知负荷下定向和执行注意过程的影响

人类的视觉注意力偏向于快速检测环境中的威胁，以便我们的神经系统能够启动快速反应。然而，威胁检测背后的过程（以及它们如何在认知负载下运行）仍然知之甚少。因此，我们试图测试与任务无关的威胁刺激对显着网络的影响以及在低认知负荷和高认知负荷期间注意力的执行控制。参与者在矩阵阵列中按升序搜索数字时，在近（中央凹旁）和远（外围）位置暴露于中性或威胁性图片（具有中度和高度唤醒水平）作为与任务无关的干扰物。我们测量了反应时间并记录了眼球运动。我们的研究结果表明，与任务无关的干扰因素主要影响高认知负荷期间的行为测量。具有中等唤醒水平的威胁图像的分心效果减慢了寻找第一个数字的反应时间。然而，这种放缓被高唤醒威胁刺激所抵消，导致整体搜索时间更短。眼动追踪测量显示，与中性图像相比，参与者更晚地注视威胁性图像并且持续时间更短。总之，我们的结果表明威胁和注意力之间存在复杂的关系，这种关系不会导致单一的偏见，而是会随着时间的推移而产生一系列影响。眼动追踪测量显示，与中性图像相比，参与者更晚地注视威胁性图像并且持续时间更短。总之，我们的结果表明威胁和注意力之间存在复杂的关系，这种关系不会导致单一的偏见，而是会随着时间的推移而产生一系列影响。眼动追踪测量显示，与中性图像相比，参与者更晚地注视威胁性图像并且持续时间更短。总之，我们的结果表明威胁和注意力之间存在复杂的关系，这种关系不会导致单一的偏见，而是会随着时间的推移而产生一系列影响。