Ne me Quitte pas: An Anxiety-induced Bias in the...
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Normalized Horiz. Distance Norm. Vert. Distance Procedure: We selected participants based on their social anxiety score (LSAS, 17 low, 15 high) We parametrically varied perspective information in different trials (40 trials/level) Participants reported percept: facing towards you or facing away Ne me Quitte pas: An Anxiety-induced Bias in the Perception of a Bistable Point-light Walker Low Social Anxiety High Social Anxiety Perspective (in field of view angle) Proportion of Facing Responses Sander Van de Cruys, Ben Schouten, Johan Wagemans Contact: [email protected] Funding: Methusalem program of the Flemish government METH/08/02 Questions: Conclusions: Observers have a strong bias towards perceiving a bistable point-light walker as walking towards them. It has been assumed that this is due to the higher social or emotional relevance of this percept. If so, can we find a different bias in people with high social anxiety? Studies of emotion effects on perception find either a positivity (‘wishful seeing') or a negativity bias (towards negative stimuli/interpretations). Which is supported when using the more subtle emotional value of our biological motion stimulus? Observers with high social anxiety tended to see walkers as facing away more frequently than those with low social anxiety. This suggests that trait social anxiety can bias perception in a way that counters this anxiety. This self-protective (positivity) bias might be specific to nonclinical anxiety, because it opposes the attentional bias towards threat typically found in clinically anxious groups.
Transcript of Ne me Quitte pas: An Anxiety-induced Bias in the...
Normalized Horiz. DistanceNo
rm. V
ert.
Dis
tan
ce
Procedure:
We selected participants based on their social
anxiety score (LSAS, 17 low, 15 high)
We parametrically varied perspective
information in different trials (40 trials/level)
Participants reported percept: facing towards
you or facing away
Ne me Quitte pas: An Anxiety-induced Bias
in the Perception of a Bistable Point-light Walker
Low Social Anxiety
High Social Anxiety
Perspective (in field of view angle)
Pro
po
rtio
n o
f F
acin
g R
esp
on
ses
Sander Van de Cruys, Ben Schouten, Johan Wagemans
Contact: [email protected]
Funding: Methusalem program of the Flemish government METH/08/02
Questions: Conclusions:
Observers have a strong bias towards
perceiving a bistable point-light walker as
walking towards them. It has been assumed
that this is due to the higher social or
emotional relevance of this percept. If so,
can we find a different bias in people with
high social anxiety?
Studies of emotion effects on
perception find either a positivity (‘wishful
seeing') or a negativity bias (towards
negative stimuli/interpretations). Which
is supported when using the more subtle
emotional value of our biological motion
stimulus?
Observers with high social anxiety tended
to see walkers as facing away more frequently
than those with low social anxiety.
This suggests that trait social anxiety can bias
perception in a way that counters this anxiety.
This self-protective (positivity) bias might be
specific to nonclinical anxiety, because it
opposes the attentional bias towards threat
typically found in clinically anxious groups.
