Threat-related attentional bias in subjects with different looming cognitive styles: Evidence based on eye-tracking study.

backgroundAlthough extensive research has investigated attentional biases based on the looming vulnerability model of anxiety, the characteristics of attentional biases in individuals with looming cognitive styles (LCS) remain incompletely elucidated. No prior eye-tracking studies have examined the spatiotemporal dynamics of their threat-related attentional preferences.

aimTo investigate the nature and temporal pattern of attentional biases toward threat stimuli in individuals exhibiting different levels of LCS using eye-tracking technology.

methodsA total of 212 participants were stratified according to their Looming Maladaptive Style Questionnaire scores. From the high and low scoring subgroups, 35 participants were randomly selected for an eye-tracking experiment using a classic dot-probe paradigm featuring threat and neutral images. Four eye-tracking metrics, including first fixation latency, first fixation duration, total fixation duration, and fixation count, were analyzed to assess detection speed, attentional orienting, initial maintenance/avoidance, and overall engagement.

resultsDistinct attentional bias patterns were observed between high and low LCS groups. High LCS individuals exhibited a vigilance-avoidance pattern characterized by initial vigilance toward threat stimuli (evidenced by faster detection and preferential orienting), followed by attentional avoidance, alongside sustained attention maintenance to threat.

conclusionThese findings reveal a temporal dissociation between early vigilance and later avoidance during threat processing in high LCS individuals, providing novel empirical evidence to refine models of cognitive vulnerability and attentional dynamics in threat perception.