How Negative Emotions Impact Attention
High presence of negative emotions can lead to a lack of long-term attention on external stimuli: How Negative Emotions Impact Attention: Cognitive Load: Experiencing strong negative emotions like anxiety, sadness, fear, or anger places a significant burden on cognitive resources. Part of the mind's processing power is dedicated to Processing and interpreting the emotion itself. Managing the physical sensations associated with the emotion. Engaging in rumination (repeatedly thinking about the source of the emotion). Implementing coping mechanisms (conscious or unconscious) to deal with the emotional distress. This reduces the cognitive capacity available for processing external information and maintaining focus. Internal Focus: When experiencing negative emotions, attention tends to shift inward. The individual becomes Preoccupied with their internal state, thoughts, and feelings related to the emotion. Less attentive to external cues unless they are directly related to the...