Effect of self-esteem on attentional bias for emotional faces

Abstract

Abstract: Previous findings are generally consistent with the notion that low self-esteem participants tend to show difficulty in disengaging their attention from negative stimuli. However, the extant data regarding the disengage component of attention in relation to low self-esteem is scarce. The main object of the present study was to further investigate the time course of attention deployment to emotional stimuli in low self-esteem using event related potentials technology. In experiment 1, 129 undergraduates participated in the task and pairs of neutral, happy or sad facial expression were used as material. The results showed that there were no attentional bias between high self-esteem and low self-esteem participants. 15 high self-esteem and 15 low self-esteem participants selected from experiments 1 participated in experiment 2 and pairs of neutral, happy or angry facial expression were used as material. Behavioral results revealed no significant main or interaction effects involving self-esteem or target. Instead, low self-esteem participants responded faster than high self-esteem participants. Electrophysiology data showed that low self-esteem showed increased P1 amplitudes to valid trials versus invalid trials and had larger N2pc amplitude in the invalid trials versus in the valid trials. It was cautiously speculated that low self-esteem was more likely to be attracted by emotional stimuli than by neutral stimuli, in other words.

Key words: low self-esteem, attentional bias, attentional deficit, event-related potentials, P1, N2pc

摘要： 研究表明低自尊个体对负性信息表现出高度的警觉和关注，而高自尊个体相对来说注意积极地方面，但并未表现明显偏向。为了精确记录注意选择神经加工时间进程，进一步从电生理学角度对低自尊个体的负性注意偏向进行探讨，本研究运用事件相关电位（ERP）技术对不同自尊个体在点-探测任务过程中的注意偏向进行研究。实验一以129名在校大学生作为被试，以大学生面孔情绪图片（高兴、悲伤和中性）作为实验材料，结果发现，高低自尊个体之间没有出现注意偏向的差异。实验二以实验一筛选出的30名高低自尊个体作为被试，选择了更具负性情绪唤醒的愤怒图片作为实验材料（高兴、愤怒和中性），行为数据结果发现，两组被试都没有出现注意偏向，相反，无论是在高兴面孔条件下还是在愤怒面孔条件下，低自尊个体的反应时都快于高自尊个体；电生理学数据结果发现，在低自尊个体中，在两种情绪面孔条件下，有效线索的P1峰值显著高于无效线索，而无效线索的N2pc峰值显著高于有效线索。电生理学数据表明，无论是负性的还是正性的情绪性的信息都能引起低自尊个体的更多注意，表明低自尊个体更容易受到情绪性信息的影响。

关键词: 低自尊，注意偏向，注意缺陷，事件相关电位技术，P1,N2pc

杨娟李海江张庆林. 自尊对情绪面孔注意偏向的影响[J]. 心理科学, 2012, 35(4): 793-798.

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