Research article summary (published 30 May 2002):

Patients with generalized social phobia direct their attention away from faces.

Full Abstract

The experiment tested whether patients with social phobia direct their attention to or away from faces with a range of emotional expressions. A modified dot probe paradigm (J. Abnorm. Psychol. 95 (1986) 15) measured whether participants attended more to faces or to household objects. Twenty patients with social phobia were faster in identifying the probe when it occurred in the location of the household objects, regardless of whether the facial expressions were positive, neutral, or negative. In contrast, controls did not exhibit an attentional preference. The results are in line with recent theories of social phobia that emphasize the role of reduced processing of external social cues in maintaining social anxiety.

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Author information

Author/s: Chen, Y P (YP); Ehlers, A (A); Clark, D M (DM); Mansell, W (W);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Behaviour research and therapy (Behav Res Ther), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Jun; vol 40 (issue 6) : pp 677-87

Dates: Created 2002/06/07; Completed 2002/06/26; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 12051486, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult Attention Face Female Fixation, Ocular

Humans Male Phobic Disorders - diagnosis; psychology Psychiatric Status Rating Scales Severity of Illness Index

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