scholarly journals Measuring biases of visual attention: A comparison of 4 tasks

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olafia Sigurjonsdottir ◽  
Andri S Bjornsson ◽  
Inga Wessman ◽  
Arni Kristjansson
Keyword(s):  
Visual Attention ◽  
Attentional Blink ◽  
Emotional Stimuli ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Dot Probe ◽  
Attentional Processing ◽  
Differential Processing ◽  
Spatial Cueing ◽  
And Control ◽  
Attentional Blink Task

Observers typically attend preferentially to stimuli with emotional content over emotionally neutral ones. For some this attentional pull is abnormally strong, and such attention biases may play a role in the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders. The assessment of potential biases is constrained by measurement methods. The tasks most commonly used to measure preferential attentional orienting to emotional stimuli, the dot-probe and spatial cueing tasks, have yielded mixed results. We assessed the sensitivity of 4 visual attention tasks (dot-probe, spatial cueing, visual search with irrelevant distractor and attentional blink tasks) to differences in attentional processing between threatening and neutral faces in 33 outpatients with a primary diagnosis of social anxiety disorder (SAD) and 26 healthy controls. The dot-probe and cueing tasks did not reveal any differential processing of neutral and threatening faces nor between the SAD and control groups. The irrelevant distractor task showed some sensitivity to differential processing of facial expression in the SAD group, but the attentional blink task was uniquely sensitive to such differences in both groups, and also revealed processing differences between the SAD and control groups. The attentional blink task revealed interesting temporal dynamics of attentional processing of emotional stimuli and may provide a uniquely nuanced picture of attentional response to emotional stimuli. The task may, therefore, be more suitable to measuring preferential attending to emotional stimuli and treating dysfunctional attention patterns than the more commonly used dot-probe and cueing tasks.

scholarly journals Measuring Biases of Visual Attention: A Comparison of Four Tasks

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Ólafía Sigurjónsdóttir ◽  
Andri S. Bjornsson ◽  
Inga D. Wessmann ◽  
Árni Kristjánsson
Keyword(s):  
Visual Attention ◽  
Attentional Blink ◽  
Emotional Stimuli ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Dot Probe ◽  
Attentional Processing ◽  
Differential Processing ◽  
Spatial Cueing ◽  
And Control ◽  
Attentional Blink Task

Attention biases to stimuli with emotional content may play a role in the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders. The most commonly used tasks in measuring and treating such biases, the dot-probe and spatial cueing tasks, have yielded mixed results, however. We assessed the sensitivity of four visual attention tasks (dot-probe, spatial cueing, visual search with irrelevant distractor and attentional blink tasks) to differences in attentional processing between threatening and neutral faces in 33 outpatients with a primary diagnosis of social anxiety disorder (SAD) and 26 healthy controls. The dot-probe and cueing tasks revealed no differential processing of neutral and threatening faces between the SAD and control groups. The irrelevant distractor task showed some sensitivity to differential processing for the SAD group, but the attentional blink task was uniquely sensitive to such differences in both groups, and revealed processing differences between the SAD and control groups. The attentional blink task also revealed interesting temporal dynamics of attentional processing of emotional stimuli and may provide a uniquely nuanced picture of attentional response to emotional stimuli. Our results therefore suggest that the attentional blink task is more suitable for measuring preferential attending to emotional stimuli and treating dysfunctional attention patterns than the more commonly used dot-probe and cueing tasks.

Visual disgust-elicitors produce an attentional blink independent of contextual and trait-level pathogen avoidance

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Perone ◽  
David Vaughn Becker ◽  
Joshua M. Tybur
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Visual Attention ◽  
Attentional Blink ◽  
Attentional Bias ◽  
Visual Stimuli ◽  
Attentional Biases ◽  
Attentional Processing ◽  
Trait Level ◽  
Task Irrelevant ◽  
Pathogen Avoidance

Multiple studies report that disgust-eliciting stimuli are perceived as salient and subsequently capture selective attention. In the current study, we aimed to better understand the nature of temporal attentional biases toward disgust-eliciting stimuli and to investigate the extent to which these biases are sensitive to contextual and trait-level pathogen avoidance motives. Participants (N=116) performed in an Emotional Attentional Blink (EAB) task in which task-irrelevant disgust-eliciting, fear-eliciting, or neutral images preceded a target by 200, 500, or 800 milliseconds (i.e., lag two, five and eight respectively). They did so twice - once while not exposed to an odor, and once while exposed to either an odor that elicited disgust or an odor that did not - and completed a measure of disgust sensitivity. Results indicate that disgust-eliciting visual stimuli produced a greater attentional blink than neutral visual stimuli at lag two and a greater attentional blink than fear-eliciting visual stimuli at both lag two and at lag five. Neither the odor manipulations nor individual differences measures moderated this effect. We propose that visual attention is engaged for a longer period of time following disgust-eliciting stimuli because covert processes automatically initiate the evaluation of pathogen threats. The fact that state and trait pathogen avoidance do not influence this temporal attentional bias suggests that early attentional processing of pathogen cues is initiated independent from the context in which such cues are perceived.

Assessing distractibility by eye movements in a binocular rivalry task

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 263-263
Author(s):  
J.A. Amador Campos ◽  
A. Aznar Casanova ◽  
J.J. Ortiz Guerra ◽  
A. Medina Peña ◽  
S.C. Solarte Hurtado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Attention ◽  
Binocular Rivalry ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Adhd Group ◽  
Eye Tracker ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Attention Disorders ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Areas Of Interest ◽  
And Control

IntroductionAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral disorder, characterized by developmentally inappropriate levels of overactivity, inattention and impulsivity. Measuring inattention is a controversial question in ADHD diagnosis. Eye movement could provide a method to assess distractibility. Several studies have related visual attention and perceptual dominance in binocular rivalry.ObjectivesTo assess visual attention through the measurement of fixations in a binocular rivalry task in ADHD children and control groups.AimsWe proposed a task for the assessment of distractibility and to enhance the diagnosis of attention disorders.MethodsForty children, 20 with ADHD-combined type and 20 controls, matched by gender, age and intelligence, were tested with a binocular rivalry task (i.e. an anaglyph image) with an exogenous distractor appearing regularly. The stimulus was divided in four Areas of Interest (AOI). Measurements of duration of the periods of exclusive dominance, perceptual alternations in dominance / suppression and fixations were taken by an eye tracker and a response box. Analysis of Variance was used to test differences between ADHD and control groups.ResultsSignificant differences between ADHD and control groups were found in dwells at the main AOI. Also, significant differences between groups in “Fixation over alternations ratio” were found.ConclusionsADHD participants looked at the relevant region (AOI_1) for a shorter time than the control group; they also looked at the no demanded regions (AOI_2, AOI_3, AOI_4) longer than the control group. Moreover, the ratio fixations/alternations were greater for the control group than the ADHD group.

scholarly journals Preferential access to emotion under attentional blink: evidence for threshold phenomenon

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Remigiusz Szczepanowski ◽  
Jakub Traczyk ◽  
Zhao Fan ◽  
Lewis O. Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Attentional Blink ◽  
Signal Detection Theory ◽  
Threshold Model ◽  
Threshold Level ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Emotional Stimuli ◽  
Continuous Quality ◽  
Threshold Phenomenon ◽  
Attentional Blink Task

Abstract The present study provides evidence that the activation strength produced by emotional stimuli must pass a threshold level in order to be consciously perceived, contrary to the assumption of continuous quality of representation. An analysis of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) for attentional blink performance was used to distinguish between two (continuous vs. threshold) models of emotion perception by inspecting two different ROC’s shapes. Across all conditions, the results showed that performance in the attentional blink task was better described by the two-limbs ROC predicted by the Krantz threshold model than by the curvilinear ROC implied by the signal-detection theory.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid Causes a Marked Increase in Liver α-Tocopherol and Liver α-Tocopherol Transfer Protein in C57BL/6 J Mice

2010 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei-Min Chao ◽  
Wan-Hsuan Chen ◽  
Chun-Huei Liao ◽  
Huey-Mei Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Antioxidant Enzymes ◽  
Linoleic Acid ◽  
Conjugated Linoleic Acid ◽  
Thiobarbituric Acid ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Transfer Protein ◽  
And Control

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a collective term for the positional and geometric isomers of a conjugated diene of linoleic acid (C18:2, n-6). The aims of the present study were to evaluate whether levels of hepatic α-tocopherol, α-tocopherol transfer protein (α-TTP), and antioxidant enzymes in mice were affected by a CLA-supplemented diet. C57BL/6 J mice were divided into the CLA and control groups, which were fed, respectively, a 5 % fat diet with or without 1 g/100 g of CLA (1:1 mixture of cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, cis-12) for four weeks. α-Tocopherol levels in plasma and liver were significantly higher in the CLA group than in the control group. Liver α-TTP levels were also significantly increased in the CLA group, the α-TTP/β-actin ratio being 2.5-fold higher than that in control mice (p<0.01). Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances were significantly decreased in the CLA group (p<0.01). There were no significant differences between the two groups in levels of three antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase). The accumulation of liver α-tocopherol seen with the CLA diet can be attributed to the antioxidant potential of CLA and the ability of α-TTP induction. The lack of changes in antioxidant enzyme protein levels and the reduced lipid peroxidation in the liver of CLA mice are due to α-tocopherol accumulation.

The influence of natural and urban environments on attentional processing of emotional stimuli

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chrono Nu ◽  
Katie Mullin ◽  
Hailey Edwards ◽  
Kailey Kornhauser ◽  
Russell Costa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Environments ◽  
Emotional Stimuli ◽  
Attentional Processing

The Prospects and Risks Connected with Increasing the Level of Self-Organisation in Students

2020 ◽  
pp. 75-81
Author(s):  
Svetlana Alexandrovna Kosareva ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Competence ◽  
Initial Level ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Study Guide ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Self Organisation ◽  
And Control

The paper describes the method for increasing the level of self-organisation in students which has been developed by the author. It also contains the method testing results and presents the prospects and risks teachers could face while applying the method in a higher education institution. The purpose of this study is to find out the prospects and risks of applying the method for increasing the level of self-organisation in students and to determine the ways of reducing the risks. Methodology. The author points out the learning approaches which were the basis of developing the method and describes diagnostic methods for determining students’ self-organisation levels. The work focused on increasing each student’s initial level consists of a theoretical and a practical part and includes project activities on creating a study guide. The results of the study. The method developed proved to be effective. It was established by diagnosing the final level of self-organisation in students in the experimental and control groups. The paper considers the advantages of the method among which there is universal character, flexibility, improvements to teacher’s and students’ professional competence, etc. At the same time it is necessary to be aware of the risks due to the increased amount of teacher’s work and the fact that students’ work within the project tends to be monotonous. In conclusion, the prospects of the method for increasing the level of self-organisation in students are related to its advantages and the final results of the work. The risks of its use can be reduced with the help of the measures proposed in the paper.

Sri Lankan Cleft Lip and Palate Study Model Analysis: Clefts of the Secondary Palate

1993 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Mccance ◽  
David Roberts-Harry ◽  
Martyn Sherriff ◽  
Michael Mars ◽  
William J.B. Houston
Keyword(s):  
Cleft Lip ◽  
Cleft Lip And Palate ◽  
Model Analysis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Tooth Size ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Secondary Palate ◽  
Comparable Control ◽  
And Control

The study models of a group of adult Sri Lankan patients with clefts of the secondary palate were investigated. Tooth-size and arch-dimension comparisons were made with a comparable control group. Significant differences were found between the cleft and control groups in tooth sizes, chord lengths, and arch widths. The cleft group dimensions were generally smaller than those of the control group. Overjets were larger in the cleft group.

THE EFFECT OF APPLYING ANIMAL CARTOON PICTURES ON STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN WRITING NARRATIVE TEXT

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasanul Arifin Zul And Masitowarni Siregar
Keyword(s):  
T Test ◽  
Narrative Text ◽  
Control Group ◽  
First Year ◽  
Writing Achievement ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Written Test ◽  
And Control ◽  
Experimental Group

This thesis is focused on the investigation of the effect of applying animal cartoon pictures on students’ achievement in writing narrative text. This study aims to find whether applying animal cartoon pictures significantly affect the students’ writing achievement or not. The data in this study were obtained by administering a written test. The population was the 2015/2016 first year (grade XI) of SMA Swasta Nusantara Lubuk Pakam and 66 students were taken as the sample by using random sampling. The sample was divided into two groups, experimental and control groups. The experimental group was taught by applying animal cartoon pictures while the control group without animal cartoon pictures (x = lecturing). The data were taken the scores from the pre-test and post-test to both experimental and control groups. These data were analyzed by using t-test. The result of computing the t-test obviously showed that t-observed is higher than t-table (5.21 >1,67) with the degree of freedom 64 (df =N-2) at the level significance 0,05 one tail test. It showed that the application of animal cartoon pictures significantly affected the students of SMA Swasta Nusantara Lubuk Pakam achievement in writing narrative text.

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