Attentional control as a moderator of the relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and attentional threat bias

► We examined associations between attentional threat bias (ATB), attentional control (AC), and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). ► Those with higher PTSS had difficulty disengaging attention from general threat stimuli. ► PTSS were inversely related to AC and moderated the relationship between ATB and PTSS. ► Participants with high PTSS and high AC were better able to disengage from threat stimuli. ► High AC may reduce prolonged attending to threat information in those with PTSD.