The characteristics of attentional bias in high anxiety sensitivity individuals / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the characteristics and mechanisms of attentional bias in anxiety sensitivity individuals.Methods By using Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI),23 participants were included in the high score group and 20 participants were included in the low score group.Then,2 (between-subject factorthe high and low score group) ×2 (within-subject factorthe positive and negative picture) mixed design experiments were adopted.Emotional faces picture pairs were chosen as stimuli.Picture pairs were presented 100 ms in experiment 1 and 1 250 ms in experiment 2.Dot-probe task was adopted to inspect the attentional bias and the response time and correct rate were recorded.Results Experiment 1 implied the main effect of type of pictures was found in mixed design experiments(F(1,41)=4.40,P＜0.05).The reaction time of two groups in positive pictures was greater than zero((12.22±30.24) ms vs (10.07±21.55) ms).It showed input effect to positive pictures.An input effect due to the reaction time of the high score group was greater than zero to negative pictures((4.81± 17.88)ms),while the low score group tended to avoid the negative pictures ((-6.81 ±21.33) ms).Experiment 2 implied positive score was not significant between two groups (F(1,41) =0.29,P＞0.05).And positive score showed the attentional bias to some certain extent.Significant outcome was found by negative score between two groups (F(1,41) =6.41,P＜0.05).It implied that the high score group tended to avoid the negative pictures and the low score group had the tendency of input effect.Conclusion At the initial stage of attention,anxiety sensitivity individuals had the attentional bias to negative emotional faces and avoidance in the late stage of attention.It suggests that the attentional bias of anxiety sensitivity individuals may have an important effect on the development of the mental disorders.