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Gepubliceerd in: Cognitive Therapy and Research 1/2007

01-02-2007 | Original Article

Attentional Bias Toward Facial Stimuli Under Conditions of Social Threat in Socially Phobic and Nonclinical Participants

Auteurs: Julie A. Sposari, Ronald M. Rapee

Gepubliceerd in: Cognitive Therapy and Research | Uitgave 1/2007

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Abstract

The present studies examined attentional bias for photographed faces and household objects among individuals diagnosed with generalised social phobia using a letter-probe computer task. Study 1 was conducted to replicate previous findings showing evidence of avoidance for faces among individuals diagnosed with generalised social phobia using a similar methodology as Mansell, W., Clark, D., Ehlers, A., and Chen, Y. P. (1999, Cognition and Emotion, 13(6), 673–690) on a clinical sample. Thirty-one clinical participants and 32 matched controls received identical threat instructions regarding an upcoming speech-task following the computer task. Contrary to previous findings, clinical participants demonstrated a preference for attending toward faces than household objects, regardless of facial expression and more so than controls. Study 2 was conducted on a different clinical sample in an attempt to replicate the findings of Study 1 with clearer instructions regarding the upcoming speech task. Thirty-one clinical participants and 32 matched controls were administered the same speech threat and task instructions as those used by Mansell, W., Clark, D., Ehlers, A., and Chen, Y. P. (1999, Cognition and Emotion, 13(6), 673–690). Findings revealed the same pattern found in Study 1. Hence, in contrast to previous findings, both studies demonstrated that under conditions of social threat individuals diagnosed with generalised social phobia are more vigilant of pictorial faces generally than non-anxious individuals. The current findings lend support to cognitive models predicting that anxious individuals prefer to attend more to social cues of threat, in this case, faces. Explanations for these contradictory findings on attentional processing in social phobia are discussed with reference to the possible impact of perceived social threat and altered levels of state anxiety. Suggestion is also made for clearer research to reconcile these seemingly opposing results.
Voetnoten
1
The authors are grateful to Warren Mansell and David Clark for their generous assistance with the materials and methodology.
 
2
The same analyses were also conducted with the inclusion of participants who did not consent to do the speech task. Analyses revealed the same pattern of results and significance even with the non-consenting group.
 
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Metagegevens
Titel
Attentional Bias Toward Facial Stimuli Under Conditions of Social Threat in Socially Phobic and Nonclinical Participants
Auteurs
Julie A. Sposari
Ronald M. Rapee
Publicatiedatum
01-02-2007
Gepubliceerd in
Cognitive Therapy and Research / Uitgave 1/2007
Print ISSN: 0147-5916
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-2819
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-006-9073-2

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