Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/11348
Title: Visual scanpaths and facial affect recognition in delusion-prone individuals: Increased sensitivity to threat?
Contributor(s): Green, MJ (author); Williams, LM (author); Davidson, Dean (author)
Publication Date: 2003
DOI: 10.1080/713752236
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/11348
Abstract: Introduction: Using visual scanpaths as a measure of directed attention, we investigated whether delusion-prone individuals would exhibit reduced visual appraisal, and impaired recognition accuracy, for threat-related facial expressions. Methods: 47 psychiatrically healthy individuals completed the Peters et al. Delusions Inventory (PDI) as an index of delusion-proneness; experimental groups of high and low PDI scorers were formed on the basis of a median split. Visual scanpaths were recorded while participants viewed photographs of faces displaying anger, fear, happy, sad, and neutral expressions under a free-viewing condition. Affect recognition accuracy was assessed using a forced-choice response format. Results: The high PDI group displayed generally "extended" scanpaths, characterised by increased distances between fixations, for angry, fearful, and happy faces, but exhibited a distinctive pattern of reduced foveal attention (fewer fixations) for facial expressions of anger and fear. Impaired affect recognition accuracy in the high PDI group was most pronounced for fearful faces. Reduced recognition accuracy for fearful faces was associated with longer distances between fixations in the entire group. Conclusions: Delusion-prone individuals displayed a bias of directing attention away from threat-related faces, and a trend toward reduced recognition accuracy for fearful faces, suggesting that these individuals may be particularly sensitive to facial threat.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Source of Publication: Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 8(1), p. 19-41
Publisher: Psychology Press
Place of Publication: United Kingdom
ISSN: 1464-0619
1354-6805
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: 170101 Biological Psychology (Neuropsychology, Psychopharmacology, Physiological Psychology)
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: 920410 Mental Health
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal
Appears in Collections:Journal Article

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