Cited by 237Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesDecision-Making and Behavioral Economics

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 84 of the 84 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 17 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

Temporal Dynamics of Attentional Bias

Open access
Zvielli, Ariel, Bernstein, Amit, Koster, Ernst H. W.·2015·Clinical Psychological Science

Abstract

Biases of emotional attention are believed to be central to human (mal)adaptation and multiple forms of psychopathology. Yet fundamental questions remain regarding the nature and empirical study of attentional bias (AB). We thus aimed to (a) test a novel conceptualization and related operationalization of AB expression in time and (b) illuminate the nature of AB and specifically its temporal expression. We examined AB expression in time by means of a novel trial-level bias score (TL-BS) analysis of dot probe task data in two experiments—among spider phobics and healthy controls, and among smoking-deprived daily smokers. Findings revealed evidence of the dynamic expression of AB in time; furthermore, TL-BS parameters demonstrated unique associations with psychopathology and addiction beyond traditional bias score. The present research may help to bring the conceptualization and quantification of AB closer to the nature of the phenomenon and thereby advance basic and clinical knowledge.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

The paper proposes a Trial-Level Bias Score (TL-BS) method for dot-probe data, arguing that attentional bias is expressed as dynamic, fluctuating bursts over time rather than as a stable trait-like signal. Across spider-phobia and smoking-deprivation experiments, TL-BS parameters predicted diagnostic status and smoking rate, often incrementally beyond traditional mean bias scores.

Key findings

  • TL-BS data were not consistent with a static trait-like signal: attentional bias showed phasic bursts and fluctuating temporal variability toward and/or away from target stimuli, with peaks varying within and between participants.
  • In Experiment 1, spider phobics had higher Fear of Spiders Questionnaire scores than controls, M(SD) = 91.39(20.62) vs. 21.87(22.21), t(62) = 12.59, p < .001, d = 3.2. TL-BS positive parameters and TL-BS variability significantly related to spider-phobic group status, with incremental Nagelkerke’s R² = .04 to .13 in the 500-ms block and .07 to .13 in the 200-ms block; traditional bias score generally did not explain unique variance beyond TL-BS parameters.
  • In Experiment 2, among 45 daily smokers, traditional bias score showed very low split-half reliability (Spearman r = .06, n.s.), whereas TL-BS parameters showed higher reliability: Mean TL-BS POSITIVE r = .67, Mean TL-BS NEGATIVE r = .58, Peak TL-BS POSITIVE r = .44, Peak TL-BS NEGATIVE r = .31, TL-BS Variability r = .46.
  • TL-BS toward-smoking parameters explained unique variance in daily smoking rate beyond traditional bias score, F(3,41) = 2.5, Δr² = .07, p = .04; traditional bias score did not explain unique variance beyond TL-BS parameters, sr² = .01, p = .25.

Methods

  • Experiment 1: 41 spider-phobic participants and 25 healthy controls completed a visual dot-probe task with spider/butterfly stimuli in counterbalanced 200-ms and 500-ms blocks; each block had 60 experimental trials (20 neutral, 20 congruent, 20 incongruent). TL-BS was computed by subtracting temporally contiguous congruent and incongruent trial RT pairs within a 5-trial window, yielding parameters for Mean TL-BS POSITIVE/NEGATIVE, Peak TL-BS POSITIVE/NEGATIVE, and TL-BS Variability; logistic regressions tested diagnostic status.
  • Experiment 2: 45 daily smokers completed an 18-hour biochemically verified smoking-deprivation procedure (CO < 6 PPM) and a dot-probe task with smoking-related pictures in one 500-ms block of 160 trials (80 neutral, 40 congruent, 40 incongruent). Analyses included split-half reliability, zero-order correlations, and hierarchical regression predicting daily smoking rate.
  • Across both experiments, TL-BS parameters were compared with traditional mean bias scores, and “fake TL-BS” parameters computed from neutral trials were used as robustness checks.

Limitations

  • The paper states that TL-BS was tested only in the modified dot-probe task and only for emotional attention; generalization to other paradigms and non-emotional attention remains untested.
  • The paper states that validation analyses were cross-sectional, limiting causal or directional inference, and that split-half reliability could not be meaningfully computed in Experiment 1 due to insufficient trials.
  • The paper states that TL-BS is only one of multiple possible computational approaches and calls for future large-scale psychometric work; evident from the text, the samples are modest and Experiment 2 used only a single 500-ms stimulus block, so robustness across durations and populations is not established.

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Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1177/2167702614551572

Cites

84 of 84 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Verification

Claims the paper makes

57 Own result · 29 Own interpretation · 11 Not checked yet · 8 Own method · 6 No basis given

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Show all 59 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 25
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 33
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 3
52 of 52
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    AB expression can be modeled as a time-series signal.

    “the time-series assumption of AB expression”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Two temporally contiguous trials are more likely reflective of the same AB signal than are two more temporally distal trials.

    “the assumption that two temporally contiguous trials (e.g., trial 8 and 9) are more likely reflective of the same AB signal than are two more temporally distal trials (e.g., trial 8 and trial 18).”
2 of 2

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  • Consistentt(62) = 12.59reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001

    “t (62) = 12.59, p < .001”

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Citations

Cites

Show all 83 references

Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. Bouman T. K., 1991, Gedragstherapie, 24, 77
  2. Brown T. A., 1994, Anxiety disorders interview schedule for DSM-IV: Client interview schedule
  3. Lang P. J., 1997, Attention and orienting: Sensory and motivational processes, 97
  4. Schneider W., 2002, E-prime: User’s guide
  5. 10.1037/a0034834 · DOI · Paper page

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Metadata

Authors
Zvielli, A., Bernstein, A., & Koster, E. H. W.
Affiliations
  • University of Haifa (IL)
  • Ghent University (BE)
Venue
Clinical Psychological Science
Published
2014-10-08
Volume
3
Issue
5
Pages
772-788
ISSN
  • 2167-7026 (ISSN-L)
  • 2167-7034
OpenAlex
W2321542948
Cited by
237
References
83
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 2
FWCI
27.35
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Clinical Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
  • Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • Psychology Beyond Borders
  • European Commission
  • Council for Higher Education
  • University of Haifa
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
Keywords
attentional bias, temporal dynamics, emotional attention, dot-probe task, spider phobia, smoking, smoking cessation, psychopathology, addiction

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