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Becker M, Troje NF, Schmidt F, Haberkamp A. Moving spiders do not boost visual search in spider fear. Sci Rep 2024; 14:19006. [PMID: 39152224 PMCID: PMC11329515 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-69468-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous research on attention to fear-relevant stimuli has largely focused on static pictures or drawings, and thus did not consider the potential effect of natural motion. Here, we aimed to investigate the effect of motion on attentional capture in spider-fearful and non-fearful participants by using point-light stimuli and naturalistic videos. Point-light stimuli consist of moving dots representing joints and thereby visualizing biological motion (e.g. of a walking human or cat) without needing a visible body. Spider-fearful (n = 30) and non-spider-fearful (n = 31) participants completed a visual search task with moving targets (point-light/naturalistic videos) and static distractors (images), static targets and moving distractors, or static targets and static distractors. Participants searched for a specified animal type (snakes, spiders, cats, or doves) as quickly as possible. We replicated previous findings with static stimuli: snakes were detected faster and increased distraction, while spiders just increased distraction. However, contrary to our hypotheses, spider targets did not speed up responses, neither in the group of control nor in the group of spider-fearful participants. Interestingly, stimuli-specific effects were toned down, abolished, or even changed direction when motion was introduced. Also, we demonstrated that point-light stimuli were of similar efficiency as naturalistic videos, indicating that for testing effects of motion in visual search, "pure" motion stimuli might be sufficient. As we do show a substantial modulation of visual search phenomena by biological motion, we advocate for future studies to use moving stimuli, equivalent to our dynamic environment, to increase ecological validity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Becker
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, 35032, Marburg, Germany.
| | | | - Filipp Schmidt
- Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Anke Haberkamp
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, 35032, Marburg, Germany
- Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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2
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Abado E, Aue T, Pourtois G, Okon-Singer H. Expectancy and attention bias to spiders: Dissecting anticipation and allocation processes using ERPs. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14546. [PMID: 38406863 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The current registered report focused on the temporal dynamics of the relationship between expectancy and attention toward threat, to better understand the mechanisms underlying the prioritization of threat detection over expectancy. In the current event-related potentials experiment, a-priori expectancy was manipulated, and attention bias was measured, using a well-validated paradigm. A visual search array was presented, with one of two targets: spiders (threatening) or birds (neutral). A verbal cue stating the likelihood of encountering a target preceded the array, creating congruent and incongruent trials. Following cue presentation, preparatory processes were examined using the contingent negative variation (CNV) component. Following target presentation, two components were measured: early posterior negativity (EPN) and late positive potential (LPP), reflecting early and late stages of natural selective attention toward emotional stimuli, respectively. Behaviorally, spiders were found faster than birds, and congruency effects emerged for both targets. For the CNV, a non-significant trend of more negative amplitudes following spider cues emerged. As expected, EPN and LPP amplitudes were larger for spider targets compared to bird targets. Data-driven, exploratory, topographical analyses revealed different patterns of activation for bird cues compared to spider cues. Furthermore, 400-500 ms post-target, a congruency effect was revealed only for bird targets. Together, these results demonstrate that while expectancy for spider appearance is evident in differential neural preparation, the actual appearance of spider target overrides this expectancy effect and only in later stages of processing does the cueing effect come again into play.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elinor Abado
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Tatjana Aue
- Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gilles Pourtois
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Hadas Okon-Singer
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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3
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Abado E, Aue T, Okon-Singer H. Spider vs. guns: expectancy and attention biases to phylogenetic threat do not extend to ontogenetic threat. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1232985. [PMID: 37711323 PMCID: PMC10498540 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1232985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Attention bias plays an important role in specific fears and phobias. Previous studies revealed that a-priori expectancies affect attention toward neutral stimuli but not threatening stimuli. The aim of the current study was to test whether this selective influence of expectancies on attention is specific to phylogenetic threat (i.e., spiders) or whether it can be generalized to ontogenetic threat (i.e., guns). Correspondingly, we directly compared expectancy effects on attentional allocation to phylogenetically vs. ontogenetically threatening stimuli. Method Expectancies were manipulated by presenting a cue indicating the likelihood of the appearance of a deviant picture in a visual search array. The array included eight distractors and one neutral (phone/bird) or threatening (gun/spider) deviant picture. In a comprehensive design, we examined the effects of stimulus type (phylogenetic/ontogenetic) and visual background (white and sterile/complex and ecological). Individual differences such as intolerance of uncertainty and spider fear were also measured. Results Results showed that attention bias toward spiders does not extend to threatening ontogenetic stimuli (i.e., guns). Our previous findings on attention bias toward spiders were replicated and a small to medium positive correlation was found between reaction time to bird targets and pre-existing fear of spider levels. Cues were used to detect threatening as well as neutral targets on both background types, except for spider targets on a complex background, replicating previous results. A small to medium positive correlation was also found between fear of spiders and intolerance of uncertainty. Discussion Together, these results suggest that expectancy and attentional processes may differ between ontogenetic and phylogenetic threat. Importantly, the effects of expectancy on attentional allocation depend on an interaction between the type of threat (ontogenetic/phylogenetic), visual factors, and individual differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elinor Abado
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Tatjana Aue
- Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Hadas Okon-Singer
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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Schaefer M, Edwards S, Nordén F, Lundström JN, Arshamian A. Inconclusive evidence that breathing shapes pupil dynamics in humans: a systematic review. Pflugers Arch 2023; 475:119-137. [PMID: 35871662 PMCID: PMC9816272 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-022-02729-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
More than 50 years ago, it was proposed that breathing shapes pupil dynamics. This widespread idea is also the general understanding currently. However, there has been no attempt at synthesizing the progress on this topic since. We therefore conducted a systematic review of the literature on how breathing affects pupil dynamics in humans. We assessed the effect of breathing phase, depth, rate, and route (nose/mouth). We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, and conducted a systematic search of the scientific literature databases MEDLINE, Web of Science, and PsycInfo in November 2021. Thirty-one studies were included in the final analyses, and their quality was assessed with QualSyst. The study findings were summarized in a descriptive manner, and the strength of the evidence for each parameter was estimated following the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The effect of breathing phase on pupil dynamics was rated as "low" (6 studies). The effect of breathing depth and breathing rate (6 and 20 studies respectively) were rated as "very low". Breathing route was not investigated by any of the included studies. Overall, we show that there is, at best, inconclusive evidence for an effect of breathing on pupil dynamics in humans. Finally, we suggest some possible confounders to be considered, and outstanding questions that need to be addressed, to answer this fundamental question. Trial registration: This systematic review has been registered in the international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO) under the registration number: CRD42022285044.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Schaefer
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Sylvia Edwards
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Frans Nordén
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan N Lundström
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Stockholm University Brain Imaging Centre, Stockholm University, 11415, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Artin Arshamian
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Aue T, Hoeppli ME, Scharnowski F, Steyrl D. Contributions of diagnostic, cognitive, and somatovisceral information to the prediction of fear ratings in spider phobic and non-spider-fearful individuals. J Affect Disord 2021; 294:296-304. [PMID: 34304084 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.07.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physiological responding is a key characteristic of fear responses. Yet, it is unknown whether the time-consuming measurement of somatovisceral responses ameliorates the prediction of individual fear responses beyond the accuracy reached by the consideration of diagnostic (e.g., phobic vs. non phobic) and cognitive (e.g., risk estimation) factors, which can be more easily assessed. METHOD We applied a machine learning approach to data of an experiment, in which spider phobic and non-spider fearful participants (diagnostic factor) faced pictures of spiders. For each experimental trial, participants specified their personal risk of encountering the spider (cognitive factor), as well as their subjective fear (outcome variable) on quasi-continuous scales, while diverse somatovisceral responses were registered (heart rate, electrodermal activity, respiration, facial muscle activity). RESULTS The machine-learning analyses revealed that fear ratings were predominantly predictable by the diagnostic factor. Yet, when allowing for learning of individual patterns in the data, somatovisceral responses contributed additional information on the fear ratings, yielding a prediction accuracy of 81% explained variance. Moreover, heart rate prior to picture onset, but not heart rate reactivity increased predictive power. LIMITATIONS Fear was solely assessed by verbal reports, only 27 females were considered, and no generalization to other anxiety disorders is possible. CONCLUSIONS After training the algorithm to learn about individual-specific responding, somatovisceral patterns can be successfully exploited. Our findings further point to the possibility that the expectancy-related autonomic state throughout the experiment predisposes an individual to experience specific levels of fear, with less influence of the actual visual stimulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana Aue
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Marie-Eve Hoeppli
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Center for Understanding Pediatric Pain (CUPP), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati OH, USA; Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati OH, USA
| | - Frank Scharnowski
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - David Steyrl
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Aue T, Dricu M, Singh L, Moser DA, Raviteja K. Enhanced Sensitivity to Optimistic Cues is Manifested in Brain Structure: A Voxel-Based Morphometry Study. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:1170-1181. [PMID: 34128051 PMCID: PMC8599192 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent research shows that congruent outcomes are more rapidly (and incongruent less rapidly) detected when individuals receive optimistic rather than pessimistic cues, an effect that was termed optimism robustness. In the current voxel-based morphometry study, we examined whether optimism robustness has a counterpart in brain structure. The participants' task was to detect two different letters (symbolizing monetary gain or loss) in a visual search matrix. Prior to each onset of the search matrix, two different verbal cues informed our participants about a high probability to gain (optimistic expectancy) or lose (pessimistic expectancy) money. The target presented was either congruent or incongruent with these induced expectancies. Optimism robustness revealed in the participants' reaction times correlated positively with gray matter volume (GMV) in brain regions involved in selective attention (medial visual association area, intraparietal sulcus), emphasizing the strong intertwinement of optimistic expectancies and attention deployment. In addition, GMV in the primary visual cortex diminished with increasing optimism robustness, in line with the interpretation of optimism robustness arising from a global, context-oriented perception. Future studies should address the malleability of these structural correlates of optimism robustness. Our results may assist in the identification of treatment targets in depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana Aue
- Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Mihai Dricu
- Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Laura Singh
- Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Dominik A Moser
- Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Makovski T, Chajut E. Preparing for the Worst: Attention is Enhanced Prior to Any Upcoming Emotional or Neutral Stimulus. Psychol Sci 2021; 32:256-266. [PMID: 33400635 PMCID: PMC7882998 DOI: 10.1177/0956797620963612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Do people allocate more or fewer attentional resources when preparing for negative emotional visual stimuli to appear? In three experiments (total N = 150), participants performed a change-detection task while expecting a neutral, threatening, disgusting, or joyful stimulus or no stimulus to appear at a fixed moment. Responses to an infrequent dot probe were faster when participants were expecting a distracting stimulus. Importantly, although only negative stimuli impaired change-detection performance, there was no difference between the preparation effect for threatening and neutral stimuli (Experiment 1) or disgusting and joyful stimuli (Experiment 3). The preparation effects were also unaffected by the participant's anxiety level. Experiment 2 confirmed that the threatening images affected performance when the dot probe appeared after the image. These results suggest that the visual system increases alertness in response to any upcoming stimulus and further imply that the effects of emotional stimuli largely occur after, but not before, the stimuli appear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Makovski
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel
| | - Eran Chajut
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel
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8
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Abado E, Aue T, Okon-Singer H. Cognitive Biases in Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia: A Review. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:678891. [PMID: 34326784 PMCID: PMC8313757 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.678891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood-injection-injury (BII) phobia can lead to avoidance of crucial medical procedures and to detrimental health consequences, even among health workers. Yet unlike other specific phobias, BII phobia has been understudied. Specifically, while cognitive biases have been extensively investigated in other anxiety disorders, little is known about the same biases in BII phobia. The current article reviews cognitive biases in BII phobia and suggest future directions for further study and treatment. The reviewed biases include attention, expectancy, memory, perception, and interpretation biases. The investigation of these biases is highly relevant, as cognitive biases have been found to interact with anxiety symptoms. Results showed that attention, expectancy, and memory biases are involved in BII phobia, while no studies were found on interpretation nor perception biases. Mixed results were found for attention bias, as different studies found different components of attention bias, while others found no attention bias at all. Similarly, some studies found a-priori/a-posteriori expectancy biases, while other studies found only one type of bias. A better understanding of the cognitive particularities of BII phobia may lead to better treatments and ultimately reduce avoidance of needles and blood-related situations, thereby enabling individuals with BII phobia to undergo potentially life-saving medical procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elinor Abado
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.,The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Tatjana Aue
- Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Hadas Okon-Singer
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.,The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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Abado E, Aue T, Okon-Singer H. The Missing Pieces of the Puzzle: A Review on the Interactive Nature of A-Priori Expectancies and Attention Bias toward Threat. Brain Sci 2020; 10:E745. [PMID: 33080803 PMCID: PMC7602966 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10100745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of attention bias in the etiology and maintenance of anxiety disorders has been studied extensively over decades. Attention bias reflects maladaptation in cognitive processing, as perceived threatening stimuli receive prioritized processing even when they are task-irrelevant or factually unthreatening. Recently, there has been some interest in the role of a-priori expectancies in attention bias toward threat. The current review article will present recent studies as examples that emphasize the need for more comprehensive research about the interactive effects of various factors that affect the relationship between expectancies and attention bias toward threatening stimuli in anxiety. The current review article suggests a holistic view, which advocates for more integrative research, as a dynamic network could underlie changes in attention bias. The study of the interaction between such factors, with a focus on expectancy, can lead to more ecological and clinically important results, and thus to more informed and fine-tuned treatments that are based on manipulation of expectancies. Such methods, in turn, can also help in shedding light on the research of attention bias, in a mutual relationship between research and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elinor Abado
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, 3498838 Haifa, Israel;
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, 3498838 Haifa, Israel
| | - Tatjana Aue
- Department of Psychology, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland;
| | - Hadas Okon-Singer
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, 3498838 Haifa, Israel;
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, 3498838 Haifa, Israel
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10
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Abado E, Sagi J, Silber N, De Houwer J, Aue T, Okon-Singer H. Reducing attention bias in spider fear by manipulating expectancies. Behav Res Ther 2020; 135:103729. [PMID: 32980587 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2020.103729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The present series of studies examines the causal interaction between expectancy and attention biases in spider fear. Previous studies found that a-priori expectancy does not affect attention bias toward spiders, as measured by detection of spider targets in a subsequent visual search array compared to detection of bird targets (i.e. neutral targets) that appeared equally often. In the present series of studies, target frequency was manipulated. Targets were preceded by a verbal cue stating the likelihood that a certain target would appear. The aim was to examine whether manipulation of expectancies toward either target affects attention bias. In Experiment 1, birds appeared more frequently than spiders. Among a representative sample of the student population, attention bias toward spiders was significantly reduced. Experiment 2 replicated these results with both low- and high-fearful participants. In Experiment 3, spiders appeared more frequently than birds. Attention bias was reduced among low- and high-fearful groups, but not as strongly as the reduction in Experiments 1 and 2. These results suggest that target salience plays a role in attention bias, in competition with expectancy. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that varying expectancy can reduce attention bias, most importantly in high fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elinor Abado
- Department of Psychology, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Jasmine Sagi
- Department of Psychology, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Nir Silber
- Department of Psychology, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Jan De Houwer
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tatjana Aue
- Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Hadas Okon-Singer
- Department of Psychology, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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Singh L, Schüpbach L, Moser DA, Wiest R, Hermans EJ, Aue T. The effect of optimistic expectancies on attention bias: Neural and behavioral correlates. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6495. [PMID: 32300214 PMCID: PMC7162893 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61440-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Optimism bias and positive attention bias are important features of healthy information processing. Recent findings suggest dynamic bidirectional optimism-attention interactions, but the underlying neural mechanisms remain to be identified. The current functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, therefore, investigated the neural mechanisms underlying causal effects of optimistic expectancies on attention. We hypothesized that expectancies guide attention to confirmatory evidence in the environment, with enhanced salience and executive control network (SN/ECN) activity for unexpected information. Moreover, based on previous findings, we anticipated optimistic expectancies to more strongly impact attention and SN/ECN activity than pessimistic expectancies. Expectancies were induced with visual cues in 50 participants; subsequent attention to reward and punishment was assessed in a visual search task. As hypothesized, cues shortened reaction times to expected information, and unexpected information enhanced SN/ECN activity. Notably, these effects were stronger for optimistic than pessimistic expectancy cues. Our findings suggest that optimistic expectancies involve particularly strong predictions of reward, causing automatic guidance of attention to reward and great surprise about unexpected punishment. Such great surprise may be counteracted by visual avoidance of the punishing evidence, as revealed by prior evidence, thereby reducing the need to update (over)optimistic reward expectancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Singh
- Department of Psychology, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Laurent Schüpbach
- Department of Psychology, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Dominik A Moser
- Department of Psychology, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Roland Wiest
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University Hospital, Inselspital, University of Bern, 3010, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Erno J Hermans
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Tatjana Aue
- Department of Psychology, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
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Neural correlates of emotion-attention interactions: From perception, learning, and memory to social cognition, individual differences, and training interventions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 108:559-601. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Kress L, Bristle M, Aue T. Seeing through rose-colored glasses: How optimistic expectancies guide visual attention. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193311. [PMID: 29466420 PMCID: PMC5821386 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Optimism bias and positive attention bias have important highly similar implications for mental health but have only been examined in isolation. Investigating the causal relationships between these biases can improve the understanding of their underlying cognitive mechanisms, leading to new directions in neurocognitive research and revealing important information about normal functioning as well as the development, maintenance, and treatment of psychological diseases. In the current project, we hypothesized that optimistic expectancies can exert causal influences on attention deployment. To test this causal relation, we conducted two experiments in which we manipulated optimistic and pessimistic expectancies regarding future rewards and punishments. In a subsequent visual search task, we examined participants’ attention to positive (i.e., rewarding) and negative (i.e., punishing) target stimuli, measuring their eye gaze behavior and reaction times. In both experiments, participants’ attention was guided toward reward compared with punishment when optimistic expectancies were induced. Additionally, in Experiment 2, participants’ attention was guided toward punishment compared with reward when pessimistic expectancies were induced. However, the effect of optimistic (rather than pessimistic) expectancies on attention deployment was stronger. A key characteristic of optimism bias is that people selectively update expectancies in an optimistic direction, not in a pessimistic direction, when receiving feedback. As revealed in our studies, selective attention to rewarding versus punishing evidence when people are optimistic might explain this updating asymmetry. Thus, the current data can help clarify why optimistic expectancies are difficult to overcome. Our findings elucidate the cognitive mechanisms underlying optimism and attention bias, which can yield a better understanding of their benefits for mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Kress
- Division of Experimental Psychology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Mirko Bristle
- Division of Experimental Psychology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Tatjana Aue
- Division of Experimental Psychology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Okon-Singer H. The role of attention bias to threat in anxiety: mechanisms, modulators and open questions. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2017.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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Kress L, Aue T. The link between optimism bias and attention bias: A neurocognitive perspective. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 80:688-702. [PMID: 28780313 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Both optimism bias and reward-related attention bias have crucial implications for well-being and mental health. Yet, the extent to which the two biases interact remains unclear because, to date, they have mostly been discussed in isolation. Examining interactions between the two biases can lead to new directions in neurocognitive research by revealing their underlying cognitive and neurophysiological mechanisms. In the present article, we suggest that optimism bias and reward-related attention bias mutually enforce each other and recruit a common underlying neural network. Key components of this network include specific activations in the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex with connections to the amygdala. We further postulate that biased memory processes influence the interplay of optimism and reward-related attention bias. Studying such causal relations between cognitive biases reveals important information not only about normal functioning and adaptive neural pathways in maintaining mental health, but also about the development and maintenance of psychological diseases, thereby contributing to the effectiveness of treatment.
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Sussman TJ, Jin J, Mohanty A. Top-down and bottom-up factors in threat-related perception and attention in anxiety. Biol Psychol 2016; 121:160-172. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2016.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Revised: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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