关键词: 学习不良, 情绪, 选择性注意, 持续性注意

Abstract: Introduction
Attention is the central factor in the cognition of humans; further, it plays a vital role in learning and cognitive performances. However, people with learning disabilities (LDs) often experience difficulties with many aspects of attention and emotions. Moreover, researchers have provided evidence that emotions play an important role in cognitive processing and learning. Based on these results, the present study addresses the issue of whether emotional problems affect the attention of people with LDs. This study examined the effect of emotions on selective and sustained attention performances in adolescents with LDs. We hypothesized that attention performances could be improved by positive emotions.
Method
We conducted two experiments using the feedback of the performance resulting from induced emotions. Experiment 1 examined the effect of emotions on the selective attention of adolescents with LDs using a visual search task. The participants in experiment 1 comprised 70 adolescents with LDs, including 36 males and 34 females, aged between 15 and 17. Experiment 2 examined the effect of emotions on the sustained attention of adolescents with LDs using a CPT-AX task. The participants in this experiment included 69 adolescents with LDs, of which 33 were male and 36 were female, aged between 16 and 18. All participants were separated into four groups according to the results obtained from the induced emotions. Both experimental tasks were completed using VC++. Further, all stimuli were presented using a PC. The display was a 17 inch Lenovo LX-GJ556D with a refresh frequency of 85Hz. The stimuli presented were black; the background was white. A training trial was conducted to ensure that the participants understood the task instructions. Following this training, all participants were required to estimate their emotional statement based on arousal (1 = not at all excited; 9 = extremely excited) and the Hedonic value dimension (1 = not at all happy; 9 = extremely happy). Thereafter, the participants were required to complete the baseline trial tasks. On completion of the baseline trial tasks and after viewing the given suppositional evaluation, they were then required to reestimate their emotional statement. Immediately after, the experimental tasks were conducted. Finally, the participants were fully debriefed and were informed that the feedback was bogus and that their performances were in the normal range. The following day, an emotional regulation intervention was carried out for all participants.
Results
The results indicated the following:
(1) Adolescents with LDs had better selective attention performance with positive low-arousal emotions than with negative emotions.
(2) Adolescents with LDs made more errors of commission and less inhibit ability with negative high-arousal emotions than with other emotions. The positive high-arousal emotions upgraded the β value and consumed more cognitive resources.
Conclusions
This study demonstrated that positive emotions improve attention performances while negative emotions may impair them. Further, it provided a new perspective on the improvement of attention in adolescents with LDs. By instilling positive emotions in such adolescents, we will be able to promote their cognitive abilities as well as correct and improve the individual differences between them and other normal adolescents

Key words: learning disabilities, emotions, selective attention, sustained attention