Impaired identification of fearful faces in Generalised Social Phobia
Impaired identification of fearful faces in Generalised Social Phobia
Background. Cognitive models and interventions for anxiety assume that socially anxious individuals interpret ambiguous social information in a threatening manner. However, experimental evidence for this hypothesised cognitive bias is mixed. The present study is novel in using a signal detection approach to clarify whether Generalised Social Phobia (GSP) is associated with biased identification of emotionally ambiguous facial expressions.
Methods. 16 patients with GSP and 17 non-anxious volunteers classified ambiguous emotional facial expressions, with each face reflecting a blend of two emotions: angry-happy, fearful-happy and fearful-angry. Discrimination accuracy and response criterion were assessed.
Results. Patients with GSP showed significantly poorer discrimination of ambiguous emotional facial expressions that contained an element of fear (i.e., fearful-happy and fearful-angry expressions), compared to non-anxious controls. The groups did not significantly differ in discrimination of faces which lacked fear content (i.e., angry-happy blend), or on measures of response criterion.
Limitations. Small sample size, coexisting depressive symptoms.
Conclusions. Findings indicate a selective impairment in fear identification in GSP. Results are discussed with reference to neurocognitive models of anxiety, and research on serotonergic modulation of emotional face processing.
460-465
Garner, M.
3221c5b3-b951-4fec-b456-ec449e4ce072
Baldwin, D.S.
1beaa192-0ef1-4914-897a-3a49fc2ed15e
Bradley, B.P.
bdacaa6c-528b-4086-9448-27ebfe463514
Mogg, K.
5f1474af-85f5-4fd3-8eb6-0371be848e30
2009
Garner, M.
3221c5b3-b951-4fec-b456-ec449e4ce072
Baldwin, D.S.
1beaa192-0ef1-4914-897a-3a49fc2ed15e
Bradley, B.P.
bdacaa6c-528b-4086-9448-27ebfe463514
Mogg, K.
5f1474af-85f5-4fd3-8eb6-0371be848e30
Garner, M., Baldwin, D.S., Bradley, B.P. and Mogg, K.
(2009)
Impaired identification of fearful faces in Generalised Social Phobia.
Journal of Affective Disorders, 115 (3), .
(doi:10.1016/j.jad.2008.10.020).
Abstract
Background. Cognitive models and interventions for anxiety assume that socially anxious individuals interpret ambiguous social information in a threatening manner. However, experimental evidence for this hypothesised cognitive bias is mixed. The present study is novel in using a signal detection approach to clarify whether Generalised Social Phobia (GSP) is associated with biased identification of emotionally ambiguous facial expressions.
Methods. 16 patients with GSP and 17 non-anxious volunteers classified ambiguous emotional facial expressions, with each face reflecting a blend of two emotions: angry-happy, fearful-happy and fearful-angry. Discrimination accuracy and response criterion were assessed.
Results. Patients with GSP showed significantly poorer discrimination of ambiguous emotional facial expressions that contained an element of fear (i.e., fearful-happy and fearful-angry expressions), compared to non-anxious controls. The groups did not significantly differ in discrimination of faces which lacked fear content (i.e., angry-happy blend), or on measures of response criterion.
Limitations. Small sample size, coexisting depressive symptoms.
Conclusions. Findings indicate a selective impairment in fear identification in GSP. Results are discussed with reference to neurocognitive models of anxiety, and research on serotonergic modulation of emotional face processing.
Text
Garner_Baldwin_Bradley_Mogg_2009_POST_PRINT.doc
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Published date: 2009
Organisations:
Clinical Neurosciences
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 63596
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/63596
ISSN: 0165-0327
PURE UUID: a0549e7b-a7e7-4868-a62c-7f92483f56c5
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 20 Oct 2008
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:24
Export record
Altmetrics
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics