Moral Internalisation Influences the Attentional Bias to Smoking and Non-Smoking Stimuli in Malaysian Youth

Internalisation Influences the Attentional Bias
Vol. 19 No. 1 : 2024 (173-191)

Shaharum MH Shaharum MH
Yusoff N Yusoff N
Reza F Reza F
Ismail R Ismail R
Kueh YC Kueh YC
Azman A Azman A

Abstract
The youth age group is a phase of life associated with risk-taking behaviour and challenging moral issues.  This study aimed to provide electrophysiological evidence that could explain the interaction between attentional bias towards the health-risk of smoking and non-health risk behaviour stimuli as influenced by various levels of moral identity. Seventy eight eligible subjects (mean age of 22 + 2.1 years old) participated in the event-related potential session. Attentional bias towards the visual stimuli was determined by recording the N200 brain potential while participants emotionally reacted to the target (health-risk of smoking, non-health risk behaviour) and non-target (neutral) stimuli. N200 was extracted and analysed by using a mixed-design analysis of variance with target and non-target stimuli as within subject effects and types of moral identity as between subject effects. Attentional bias towards visual stimuli interacted significantly with the different levels of moral identity in the central part of the brain. High internalisation trait indicated shorter N200 latency when reacted to the health-risk of smoking stimuli than the non-health risk behaviour stimuli. An important insight regarding to moral psychology in relation to youth health risk behaviour was highlighted to focus for the development of the health promotion and education in future.
Keywords : Attentional bias, moral identity, N200 Evoke potentials, smoking behaviour,
Abstrak
Kelompok belia muda merupakan satu fasa pertumbuhan emosi dan kognitif yang kompleks serta dicabar dengan isu-isu moral dan tingkahlaku berisiko. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengemukakan bukti elektrofisiologi pada bahagian otak yang spesifik untuk menjelaskan tentang interaksi di antara bias perhatian terhadap imej tingkahlaku berisiko (merokok) dan tingkah laku bukan berisiko, yang boleh dipengaruhi oleh faktor kepelbagaian identiti moral. Seramai 78 subjek (Min umur 22 + 2.1 tahun) terlibat dengan sesi Event Related Potential (ERP) yang dijalankan di Makmal Neurosains. Bias perhatian terhadap rangsangan visual ditentukan melalui gelombang otak N200 yang diukur semasa subjek memberi maklumbalas terhadap rangsangan imej target (iaitu tingkahlaku berisiko merokok  dan tingkahlaku bukan berisiko) dan bukan target (neutral). Komponen N200 diekstrak dan dianalisis dengan analisa varians bercampur (imej target dan bukan target sebagai kesan dalaman subjek; manakala identiti moral sebagai kesan antara subjek). Bias perhatian terhadap rangsangan visual berinteraksi secara signifikan dengan kepelbagaian identiti moral terutama pada bahagian tengah otak. Ciri internalisasi yang tinggi dan simbolisasi yang rendah serta internalisasi dan simbolisasi yang tinggi, menunjukkan kependaman N200 yang pendek apabila memberi bertindak balas terhadap imej tingkahlaku berisiko (merokok) berbanding imej tingkahlaku bukan berisiko. Ciri internalisasi mempengaruhi bias perhatian terhadap tingkahlaku berisiko (merokok) yang ditunjukkan oleh pengaktifan neural N200 pada bahagian tengah otak. Kepentingan hubungkait aspek moral psikologi dengan tingkahlaku berisiko di kalangan belia muda perlu difokuskan dengan lebih terperinci dalam membangunkan program promosi kesihatan dan pendidikan pada masa hadapan.
Kata Kunci : Bias perhatian, identiti moral, rangsangan potensi N200, tingkahlaku merokok,

Correspondance Address
Nasir Yusoff. Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian Kelantan Malaysia. Tel: +6017 9788554 Email: nasirff@usm.my