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The influence of anxiety on the initial selection of emotional faces presented in binocular rivalry

Gray, K., Adams, W. and Garner, M. (2009) The influence of anxiety on the initial selection of emotional faces presented in binocular rivalry. Cognition, 113 (1). pp. 105-110. ISSN 0010-0277

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To link to this item DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2009.06.009

Abstract/Summary

Neurocognitive theories of anxiety predict that threat-related information can be evaluated before attentional selection, and can influence behaviour differentially in high anxious compared to low anxious individuals. We investigate this further by presenting emotional and neutral faces in an adapted binocular rivalry paradigm. We show that the initial selection of emotional faces presented in binocular rivalry is highly influenced by self-reported state and trait anxiety-level. Heightened anxiety was correlated with increased perception of angry and fearful faces, and decreased perception of happy expressions. These results are consistent with recent evidence of involuntary selection of threat in anxiety.

Item Type:Article
Refereed:Yes
Divisions:Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Department of Psychology
ID Code:39468
Publisher:Elsevier

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