Nadezhda Barbashova

Presentation Title

Anticipation Supports Anxiety Disrupts

Abstract

Anxiety is a time-bound emotional state that unfolds in anticipation of uncertain future outcomes. In this study, we investigated how threat imminence- the temporal proximity of an anticipated aversive event—interacts with subjective anxiety and physiological arousal to shape cognitive performance. Using a novel paradigm, the Dynamic Threat Anticipation Task, participants experienced varying levels of threat and temporal imminence while completing a flanker task. We found that both threat intensity and greater proximity to an anticipated event facilitated faster reaction times, suggesting that anticipation can enhance cognitive control. However, increases in subjective anxiety and sympathetic arousal (measured via electrodermal activity) were associated with slower performance, indicating a disruptive effect. The results indicate that cognitive and affective systems may compete for shared resources during periods of heightened threat.