ABSTRACT

In this chapter, we present a theoretical model of attentional processes involved in the self-regulation of emotion. The model is intended to account for the attentional phenomena discussed in previous chapters and offers an integrative account of cognitive-attentional processes involved in the development and maintenance of emotional disorders. First, we offer a brief overview of the link between self-focused attention and emotional distress and then we present a detailed information-processing model of the cognitive-attentional syndrome underlying this association. Then we consider the application of the model to explaining the aetiology of negative emotion, the roles of distraction and attention training in therapy, and the explanation of experimentally observed biases in processing emotional stimuli.