The Effect of Stress on Selective (Focused) Visual Attention according to Openness to Experience

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of stress on visual selective (focused) attention according to openness to experience. Sixty 21-36 year-old male students (M= 26.7) were selected and placed in 3 groups (Original, O & Control) using random multi-stage sampling. The Original and O groups’ subjects administered the cognitive stressor tasks and then their selective (focused) visual attention was measured in term of errors in counting and errors in classification. In control group only selective (focused) visual attention was assessed. Neuropsychological variables were also assessed as control variables. The Original group subjects showed significantly more scores in both counting and classification errors (p<0.0001) and O group showed significantly more scores in both errors than the Original (p<0.01). The results reveal that stress has negative effects on selective (focused) visual attention. These findings are not consistent with other related research that is discussed regarding to considerations of openness to experience and neuropsychological control variables.