Attention for emotional faces under restricted awareness revisited: do emotional faces automatically attract attention? 2007

Ernst H W Koster, and Bruno Verschuere, and Benjamin Burssens, and Roel Custers, and Geert Crombez
Department of Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. ernst.koster@ugent.be

Theoretical models of attention for affective information have assigned a special status to the cognitive processing of emotional facial expressions. One specific claim in this regard is that emotional faces automatically attract visual attention. In three experiments, the authors investigated attentional cueing by angry, happy, and neutral facial expressions that were presented under conditions of limited awareness. In these experiments, facial expressions were presented in a masked (14 ms or 34 ms, masked by a neutral face) and unmasked fashion (34 ms or 100 ms). Compared with trials containing neutral cues, delayed responding was found on trials with emotional cues in the unmasked, 100-ms condition, suggesting stronger allocation of cognitive resources to emotional faces. However, in both masked and unmasked conditions, the hypothesized cueing of visual attention to the location of emotional facial expression was not found. In contrary, attentional cueing by emotional faces was less strong compared with neutral faces in the unmasked, 100-ms condition. These data suggest that briefly presented emotional faces influence cognitive processing but do not automatically capture visual attention.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010364 Pattern Recognition, Visual Mental process to visually perceive a critical number of facts (the pattern), such as characters, shapes, displays, or designs. Recognition, Visual Pattern,Visual Pattern Recognition
D010470 Perceptual Masking The interference of one perceptual stimulus with another causing a decrease or lessening in perceptual effectiveness. Masking, Perceptual,Maskings, Perceptual,Perceptual Maskings
D011930 Reaction Time The time from the onset of a stimulus until a response is observed. Response Latency,Response Speed,Response Time,Latency, Response,Reaction Times,Response Latencies,Response Times,Speed, Response,Speeds, Response
D003463 Cues Signals for an action; that specific portion of a perceptual field or pattern of stimuli to which a subject has learned to respond. Cue
D004644 Emotions Those affective states which can be experienced and have arousing and motivational properties. Feelings,Regret,Emotion,Feeling,Regrets
D005149 Facial Expression Observable changes of expression in the face in response to emotional stimuli. Face Expression,Expression, Face,Expression, Facial,Face Expressions,Facial Expressions
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001143 Arousal Cortical vigilance or readiness of tone, presumed to be in response to sensory stimulation via the reticular activating system. Vigilance, Cortical,Arousals,Cortical Vigilance
D001288 Attention Focusing on certain aspects of current experience to the exclusion of others. It is the act of heeding or taking notice or concentrating. Focus of Attention,Selective Attention,Social Attention,Attention Focus,Attention, Selective,Attention, Social,Selective Attentions
D001364 Awareness The act of "taking account" of an object or state of affairs. It does not imply assessment of, nor attention to the qualities or nature of the object. Situation Awareness,Situational Awareness,Awareness, Situation,Awareness, Situational,Awarenesses,Awarenesses, Situation,Awarenesses, Situational,Situation Awarenesses,Situational Awarenesses

Related Publications

Ernst H W Koster, and Bruno Verschuere, and Benjamin Burssens, and Roel Custers, and Geert Crombez
July 1992, The Quarterly journal of experimental psychology. A, Human experimental psychology,
Ernst H W Koster, and Bruno Verschuere, and Benjamin Burssens, and Roel Custers, and Geert Crombez
September 2009, Infancy : the official journal of the International Society on Infant Studies,
Ernst H W Koster, and Bruno Verschuere, and Benjamin Burssens, and Roel Custers, and Geert Crombez
January 2019, Frontiers in psychology,
Ernst H W Koster, and Bruno Verschuere, and Benjamin Burssens, and Roel Custers, and Geert Crombez
June 2019, Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance,
Ernst H W Koster, and Bruno Verschuere, and Benjamin Burssens, and Roel Custers, and Geert Crombez
June 2022, Scientific reports,
Ernst H W Koster, and Bruno Verschuere, and Benjamin Burssens, and Roel Custers, and Geert Crombez
June 2022, Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior,
Ernst H W Koster, and Bruno Verschuere, and Benjamin Burssens, and Roel Custers, and Geert Crombez
January 2024, Chemical senses,
Ernst H W Koster, and Bruno Verschuere, and Benjamin Burssens, and Roel Custers, and Geert Crombez
January 2017, Attention, perception & psychophysics,
Ernst H W Koster, and Bruno Verschuere, and Benjamin Burssens, and Roel Custers, and Geert Crombez
November 2016, Cognitive processing,
Ernst H W Koster, and Bruno Verschuere, and Benjamin Burssens, and Roel Custers, and Geert Crombez
July 2020, Psychological research,
Copied contents to your clipboard!