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Background & Objectives: Deficits in the ability to process contextual changes have been proposed to be crucial for emotion dysregulation. A recent study found evidence for the role of contextual changes in exacerbating attention switching towards valence-specific goals using a novel attention flexibility paradigm. Despite the task indicating good reliability, the role of rule-based learning has not been clarified in this paradigm. Therefore, we examined whether the novel attention flexibility task is an index of context-based attention switching or does it reflect impact of rule-based learning on attention., Method: We employed a neutral version of the attention flexibility task. A sample of dysphoric and non-dysphoric participants were introduced to neutral contexts which required them to shift between neutral categories of pictures depending upon the cueing shape., Results: There was an existence of a switch cost for shifting between different rules owing to the features of the rules. Further, non-dysphorics were faster at set-shifting between different rules as compared to dysphoric individuals. However, unlike in the affective version of the attention flexibility task, we found no significant differences between dysphoric and non-dysphoric individuals in attention switching patterns owing to switching between different rules., Limitations: Although the current study aimed to replicate the design of the previous study, a depressed patient sample must be employed to further clarify the different aspects of the attention flexibility paradigm., Conclusion: Our findings were able to clarify the non-existent role of rule-based learning in the attention flexibility paradigm., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Flexible attention toward relevant positive or negative information depending on specific contextual affective goals underlies resilience and is thought to be modulated by individual differences in motivational self-focuses. In this study, it was tested how promotion and prevention motivational self-focuses modulate context-based affective attention flexibility toward goal-relevant emotional information. A sample of 102 participants with different promotion and prevention levels completed a novel eye-tracking task, requiring switching attention toward positive or negative goal-relevant emotional information in different motivationally relevant contexts. High promotion participants showed difficulties in affective attention switching (i.e., less flexibility) in prevention but not in promotion contexts. Conversely, high prevention participants showed difficulties in affective attention switching in promotion but not in prevention contexts. Results thus support that contextual affective attention flexibility depends on specific motivational self-focuses. • Context-based attention flexibility was evaluated in different motivational context. • Differences depending on habitual promotion/prevention motivation were considered. • High promotion participants were specifically flexible in the promotion context. • High prevention participants were specifically flexible in the prevention context. • Contextual flexibility depends on individual differences in habitual motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]