Speeded Detection and Increased Distraction in Fear of Spiders: Evidence From Eye Movements.

• DOI: 10.1037/0021-843x.114.2.235
• Publication Date: 2005-05-03T19:16:46Z
• Authors: Mike Rinck; Andrea Reinecke; Thomas Ellwart; Kathrin Heuer; Eni S. Becker
• Keywords: Disengagement theory; Visual Search; Attentional Bias

Anxiety patients exhibit attentional biases toward threat, which have often been demonstrated as increased distractibility by threatening stimuli. In contrast, speeded detection of threat has rarely shown. Therefore, the authors studied both phenomena in 3 versions a visual search task while eye movements were recorded continuously. Spider-fearful individuals and nonanxious control participants participated target task, an odd-one-out category task. Evidence for disorder-specific distraction was found all tasks, whereas did not occur The implications these findings cognitive theories anxiety are discussed, particularly relation to concept disengagement from threat.