INFLUENCE OF AFFECTIVE VALENCE AND ATTENTION BIAS ON WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION AND HR STRATEGIES

Abstract

Effective communication in workplace environments is fundamental to organizational wellbeing, but it is often influenced by factors operating under the umbrella of psychological processes that individuals may not be consciously aware of. Two such factors, affective valence (the emotional valence of an individual's internal experience) and attention bias (the tendency to pay attention to certain stimuli), shape the way in which messages are interpreted, delivered, and responded to in modern workplaces. This paper explores the interaction of affective valence and attention bias, and outlines implications above and beyond communication styles, including how these affect perceptions of conflict, and strategic HR interventions to foster collaboration. In this study using a mixed-methods design, a sample of 220 employees from multi-sector organizations provided self-reported emotional valence scores, and completed an eye-tracking-based attention bias experiment. Results demonstrate that employees with perceived negative valence were more likely to demonstrate threat-related attention bias that was consistent with misinterpreting neutral messages as confrontational, while the opposite was true for employees with positive valence who demonstrated bias toward emotionally uplifting stimuli that reinforced collaboration and receptivity. A predictive model using logistic regression and support vector machines (SVM) indicated a strong connection between emotional and cognitive processing styles and communication consequences. This was particularly pertinent in departments where conflicts could arise due to higher stakes. The study also presented implications on how HR can harness emotion-aware communication frameworks and regulation of attention training to effectively optimize interpersonal effectiveness. Overall, the implications of the discoveries suggest the need for an addition of psychological intelligence to HR strategies which may lead to more resilient, inclusive, and enlightened workplaces where communication is adaptive in nature and affects one in an emotionally and socially aware manner.