Early mechanism of negativity bias: An attentional blink study1

Abstract: The negativity bias is the perceptual phenomena whereby an emotionally negative stimulus is processed faster than a positive or neutral stimulus. We used the attentional blink paradigm to investigate whether attentional resources are required to obtain the negativity bias. Positive, negative or neutral words were used as a preceding target (T1) and/or a subsequent target (T2). Experiment 1 showed that the negativity bias occurred, because the attentional blink was reduced by a negative T2, but not by a positive or neutral T2. Experiment 2 indicated that a negative T1 grabbed attentional resources, interfering with the identification of a neutral T2. Experiment 3 demonstrated that the report of a negative T2 deteriorated when T1 was also negative. We conclude that attentional resources were required for the occurrence of the negativity bias.