A1 Journal article (refereed)
Attentional bias towards interpersonal aggression in depression : an eye movement study (2021)
Rantanen, M., Hautala, J., Loberg, O., Nuorva, J., Hietanen, J. K., Nummenmaa, L., & Astikainen, P. (2021). Attentional bias towards interpersonal aggression in depression : an eye movement study. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 62(5), 639-647. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12735
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Rantanen, Matti; Hautala, Jarkko; Loberg, Otto; Nuorva, Jaakko; Hietanen, Jari K.; Nummenmaa, Lauri; Astikainen, Piia
Journal or series: Scandinavian Journal of Psychology
ISSN: 0036-5564
eISSN: 1467-9450
Publication year: 2021
Volume: 62
Issue number: 5
Pages range: 639-647
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Publication country: United Kingdom
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12735
Publication open access: Openly available
Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/75702
Abstract
Depressed individuals exhibit an attentional bias towards mood-congruent stimuli, yet evidence for biased processing of threat-related information in human interaction remains scarce. Here, we tested whether an attentional bias towards interpersonally aggressive pictures over interpersonally neutral pictures could be observed to a greater extent in depressed participants than in control participants. Eye movements were recorded while the participants freely viewed visually matched interpersonally aggressive and neutral pictures, which were presented in pairs. Across the groups, participants spent more time looking at neutral pictures than at aggressive pictures, probably reflecting avoidance behaviour. When the participants could anticipate the stimulus valence, depressed participants – but not controls – showed an early attentional bias towards interpersonally aggressive pictures, as indexed by their longer first fixation durations on aggressive pictures than on neutral pictures. Our results thus preliminarily suggest both an early attentional bias towards interpersonal aggression, which is present, in depressed participants, also when aggression contents are anticipated, and a later attentional avoidance of aggression. The early depression-related bias in information processing may have maladaptive effects on the way depressed individuals perceive and function in social interaction and can therefore maintain depressed mood.
Keywords: depression (mental disorders); mood; social interaction; attention; stimuli (role related to effect); emotions; aggressiveness; eye tracking; eye movements; cognitive psychology; cognitive biases
Free keywords: avoidance behavior; cognitive hypersensitivity; eye tracking; social risk hypothesis; unipolar depression
Contributing organizations
Ministry reporting: Yes
Reporting Year: 2021
JUFO rating: 1