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Fear generalization gradients in visuospatial attention.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Dowd, EW; Mitroff, SR; LaBar, KS
Published in: Emotion (Washington, D.C.)
October 2016

Fear learning can be adaptively advantageous, but only if the learning is integrated with higher-order cognitive processes that impact goal-directed behaviors. Recent work has demonstrated generalization (i.e., transfer) of conditioned fear across perceptual dimensions and conceptual categories, but it is not clear how fear generalization influences other cognitive processes. The current study investigated how associative fear learning impacts higher-order visuospatial attention, specifically in terms of attentional bias toward generalized threats (i.e., the heightened assessment of potentially dangerous stimuli). We combined discriminative fear conditioning of color stimuli with a subsequent visual search task, in which targets and distractors were presented inside colored circles that varied in perceptual similarity to the fear-conditioned color. Skin conductance responses validated the fear-conditioning manipulation. Search response times indicated that attention was preferentially deployed not just to the specific fear-conditioned color, but also to similar colors that were never paired with the aversive shock. Furthermore, this attentional bias decreased continuously and symmetrically from the fear-conditioned value along the color spectrum, indicating a generalization gradient based on perceptual similarity. These results support functional accounts of fear learning that promote broad, defensive generalization of attentional bias toward threat. (PsycINFO Database Record

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Published In

Emotion (Washington, D.C.)

DOI

EISSN

1931-1516

ISSN

1528-3542

Publication Date

October 2016

Volume

16

Issue

7

Start / End Page

1011 / 1018

Related Subject Headings

  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Fear
  • Experimental Psychology
  • Attention
  • 52 Psychology
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology
 

Citation

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Dowd, E. W., Mitroff, S. R., & LaBar, K. S. (2016). Fear generalization gradients in visuospatial attention. Emotion (Washington, D.C.), 16(7), 1011–1018. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000197
Dowd, Emma Wu, Stephen R. Mitroff, and Kevin S. LaBar. “Fear generalization gradients in visuospatial attention.Emotion (Washington, D.C.) 16, no. 7 (October 2016): 1011–18. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000197.
Dowd EW, Mitroff SR, LaBar KS. Fear generalization gradients in visuospatial attention. Emotion (Washington, DC). 2016 Oct;16(7):1011–8.
Dowd, Emma Wu, et al. “Fear generalization gradients in visuospatial attention.Emotion (Washington, D.C.), vol. 16, no. 7, Oct. 2016, pp. 1011–18. Epmc, doi:10.1037/emo0000197.
Dowd EW, Mitroff SR, LaBar KS. Fear generalization gradients in visuospatial attention. Emotion (Washington, DC). 2016 Oct;16(7):1011–1018.

Published In

Emotion (Washington, D.C.)

DOI

EISSN

1931-1516

ISSN

1528-3542

Publication Date

October 2016

Volume

16

Issue

7

Start / End Page

1011 / 1018

Related Subject Headings

  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Fear
  • Experimental Psychology
  • Attention
  • 52 Psychology
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology