Attentional biases in dysphoria when happy and sad faces are simultaneously presented.
Attentional biases
Depression
Emotional faces
Eye tracking
Journal
Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry
ISSN: 1873-7943
Titre abrégé: J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 0245075
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
12 2019
12 2019
Historique:
received:
30
11
2018
revised:
26
06
2019
accepted:
20
07
2019
pubmed:
29
7
2019
medline:
18
8
2020
entrez:
29
7
2019
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Difficulties to engage attention to positive stimuli and to disengage attention from negative stimuli are typically found in depression. Yet, most of the evidence supporting these attentional biases comes from experimental paradigms in which emotional information (e.g., happy or sad faces) is simultaneously presented with neutral information. Few studies have explored attentional biases when emotional stimuli of different valence are presented simultaneously. The aim of the present study was to assess visual scan patterns of non-dysphoric and dysphoric participants when emotional information is presented simultaneously. Using an eye-tracker methodology, the gradient relation between attentional biases and depression scores as well as differences between groups in their attentional performance were assessed in non-dysphoric participants (N = 84) and dysphoric participants (N = 58). Three different pairs of faces were used: happy-neutral, neutral-sad, and happy-sad. First, we found that simultaneous presentation of emotional information (i.e., happy vs. negative faces) reduces the magnitude of attentional biases towards positive information. Second, we also found a significant negative relation between attentional biases towards positive information and depression scores. Finally, compared to non-dysphoric participants, dysphoric individuals marginally spent less time attending positive information in both happy-neutral and happy-sad trials. The cross-sectional nature of our study does not allow us to make inferences about causality. Further, only one type of simultaneous emotional faces presentation (i.e., happy-sad) was used. These results support the need for further research on the processing of competing emotional stimuli in depression.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Difficulties to engage attention to positive stimuli and to disengage attention from negative stimuli are typically found in depression. Yet, most of the evidence supporting these attentional biases comes from experimental paradigms in which emotional information (e.g., happy or sad faces) is simultaneously presented with neutral information. Few studies have explored attentional biases when emotional stimuli of different valence are presented simultaneously. The aim of the present study was to assess visual scan patterns of non-dysphoric and dysphoric participants when emotional information is presented simultaneously.
METHOD
Using an eye-tracker methodology, the gradient relation between attentional biases and depression scores as well as differences between groups in their attentional performance were assessed in non-dysphoric participants (N = 84) and dysphoric participants (N = 58). Three different pairs of faces were used: happy-neutral, neutral-sad, and happy-sad.
RESULTS
First, we found that simultaneous presentation of emotional information (i.e., happy vs. negative faces) reduces the magnitude of attentional biases towards positive information. Second, we also found a significant negative relation between attentional biases towards positive information and depression scores. Finally, compared to non-dysphoric participants, dysphoric individuals marginally spent less time attending positive information in both happy-neutral and happy-sad trials.
LIMITATIONS
The cross-sectional nature of our study does not allow us to make inferences about causality. Further, only one type of simultaneous emotional faces presentation (i.e., happy-sad) was used.
CONCLUSIONS
These results support the need for further research on the processing of competing emotional stimuli in depression.
Identifiants
pubmed: 31352298
pii: S0005-7916(18)30323-9
doi: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2019.101499
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
101499Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.