Self reported attentional control with the Attentional Control Scale: Factor structure and relationship with symptoms of anxiety and depression

The Attentional Control Scale (ACS) is a self-report questionnaire that has been developed to measure individual differences in attentional control. Despite its fairly widespread use, little is known about the psychometric properties of the scale in adult samples. In the present study, factor structure of the ACS and its relationship with symptoms of anxiety and depression was investigated in a total sample of 728 Icelandic university students. Exploratory factor analysis in sample 1 (n = 361), yielded two factors, labeled focusing and shifting. Confirmatory factor analysis in sample 2 (n = 367) showed a reasonable fit of this two factor model. The two factors correlated strongly (0.73). The two subscales showed different predictive validity in a set of hierarchical regression analyses where the focusing subscale made a significant prediction of anxiety scores when depression scores were controlled for, and the shifting subscale significant prediction of depression scores when anxiety scores were controlled for. These findings are discussed in relation to previous studies on attentional and executive control in anxiety and depression.

► Results on the factor structure of the Attentional Control Scale in adult sample are reported for the first time.
► Results support two factors, focusing and shifting, in exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.
► Focusing was uniquely related to anxiety scores and shifting uniquely to depression scores.
► Different control processes may be uniquely related to anxiety and depression.