Attentional bias during public speaking anxiety revealed using event-related potentials

Abstract

<p>Analysis of brain signals and their properties provides valuable information regarding the underlying neural deficiencies and enables the diagnosis of attention bias related to public speaking anxiety (PSA). Although 25% people around the world suffer from PSA, currently, there exists a lack of standard assessment in diagnosing the severity of attention bias in individuals with PSA. This study aims to distinguish behavioral and neural abnormalities related to attentional bias during PSA by comparing reaction time (RT) and event-related potential (ERP) correlates of high (H) PSA and low (L) PSA individuals. 12 individuals suffering from HPSA and 12 individuals with LPSA participated in the modified emotional Stroop experiment. Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded with the low cost, 14-channel Emotiv Epoc+. RT showed slower responses, linked to attentional deficits in HPSA individuals. ERP results revealed the P200 emotional Stroop biomarker, found to be linked to attentional bias in HPSA, but not in LPSA individuals. These results revealed significant RT and P200 ERP abnormalities related to attentional bias in HPSA individuals using the low-cost Emotiv Epoc+.</p>

Biomarkers of attention bias during public speaking anxiety

“…Figure 2(a) shows that this effect is not apparent the HPSA group (HPSA neutral: 71.30886, 11.08138 ms, HPSA emotion: 73.36592, 11.71151 ms). The repeated measures ANOVA analysis showed non-significant σ differences between both groups (group×emotion effect) [𝐹 (1,22)=2.15296, partial ƞ 2 =0.089138, 𝑝=0.156447]. The emotional stimuli helped reduce typical RT variation, σ in the LPSA group, but not in the HPSA group, indicating impairment in the regulation of attention in the emotional condition in HPSA individuals [6].…”

“…Throughout the trials, participants were instructed to maintain their gaze on the monitor and keep their fingers positioned on the appropriate keypad buttons. Detailed information regarding the procedure of this study is illustrated in Figure 1 and could be found in [1].…”

“…Despite the fact that a staggering 77% of individuals worldwide experience public speaking anxiety (PSA), current research has yet to explore the potential performance and electroencephalogram (EEG) biomarkers in the frequency domain associated with attention bias in individuals with PSA. In a recent PSA emotional stroop task study [1], individuals with high (H) PSA exhibit increased P200 event-related potential (ERP) component, related to attention bias, compared to the low (L) PSA group. In a PSA Flanker study [2], individuals with high public speaking anxiety (HPSA) showed reversed N200 and decreased P200, related to Indonesian J Elec Eng & Comp Sci ISSN: 2502-4752  abnormalities during the interaction of emotion and cognition.…”

“…The ex-Gaussian approach, widely recognized as a reliable model for analyzing reaction time (RT) data [1], has been extensively utilized to identify performance biomarkers in both healthy subjects and patient studies [6]- [8]. However, the application of this model in extracting the three parameters (𝜇, 𝜎 and 𝜏) for analyzing attention bias during PSA remains unexplored.…”

Strategy for increasing Public Speaking skills through the News Anchor method

“…Broadcasters who are attractive and talented are those who not only have a beautiful facial appearance, but they must also have the intellectual ability to convey the material they present, improvise, and master language. The implementation of provision and understanding through the news anchor method is with the hope of developing personal potential, developing creativity in thinking, providing students with provisions for the future, and providing them with the ability to write news and convey information through news anchors (Feroz, 2021).…”