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Previous studies showed that emotional pictures capture attention. Further, this effect was decreased by manipulating spatial attention. In contrast, studies produced mixed findings for effects of perceptual load on attention to emotional pictures. Emotional pictures can be phobic or nonphobic. Because phobia might be an evolutionary adaption, it is possible that effects of phobic pictures on attention differ from effects of nonphobic emotional pictures. The present thesis aimed at investigating attention in spider phobia. Attention to emotional pictures was operationalized as event-related potentials (ERPs) (P1, early posterior negativity [EPN,] and late positive potential [LPP]). Two research questions were formulated. First, do phobic pictures evoke larger ERPs than what can be expected from arousal and valence? Second, are effects of spatial attention and perceptual load on ERPs the same for phobic and nonphobic emotional pictures? To investigate this, phobic and nonphobic negative pictures were presented to spider phobic and nonphobic participants. To determine effects of spatial attention on ERPs, participants were instructed to divert attention to a single letter that was presented in the periphery. To determine effects of perceptual load on ERPs, participants were instructed to perform a letter discrimination task on one, two, or three letters that were presented in the periphery. Study 1 showed enhanced LPP amplitudes to phobic pictures independent of arousal and valence. Further, this effect was present in both phobic and nonphobic participants. Study 2 showed that there was no effect of perceptual load on LPP to phobic pictures. Study 3 showed that spatial attention reduced LPP amplitudes, and to a similar extent for both phobic and nonphobic pictures. Further, perceptual load did not reduce EPN or LPP amplitudes to either phobic or nonphobic pictures. To conclude, the results suggest that phobic pictures evoke larger ERP amplitudes than nonphobic pictures. Still, ERPs to phobic and nonphobic pictures are moderated similarly by spatial attention and perceptual load. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Manuscript. Paper 3: Manuscript.</p>

Thesis--Auburn University, 2006. / Abstract. Includes bibliographic references (p.26-29).

published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Psychology

Cognitive models of social phobia (Clark & Wells, 1995; Rapee & Heimberg, 1997) theorize that the dysfunctional cognitive processes maintain the fear people with social anxiety have in social situations. Research has shown that there are three stages of cognitive processes that contribute to social anxiety: anticipatory processing, in-situation processing, and post-event processing. This study investigated differences in these three cognitive processes between 252 individuals with high and low social anxiety in Hong Kong. Study 1 developed Chinese-language self-report measures of anticipatory processing by translating two English measures. It also investigated anticipatory processing questionnaires in terms of internal consistency, factor structure, and concurrent validity. It further examined differences in anticipatory processing between the two groups. The Chinese versions of the two measures of anticipatory processing—the Anticipatory Processing Questionnaire (APQ) and the Measure of Mental Anticipation Processes (MMAP)—showed good to excellent psychometric properties. The factor structure of the Chinese APQ was consistent with the original version (Vassilopoulos, 2004). The MMAP was best explained by two factors, as opposed to the original four. Results from the surveys indicated that individuals with high social anxiety were more likely to engage in maladaptive anticipatory processing. Study 2 experimentally induced distraction, positive, and negative anticipatory processing in sixty-three participants with high and low social anxiety who then gave an impromptu speech. The effects of processing style on anxiety, confidence, and cognitive processing during the speech (self-focused attention) were measured. Positive anticipatory processing increased confidence before the speech for both high and low socially anxious groups, whereas negative anticipatory processing decreased confidence. There was no significant effect of processing manipulation on anxiety. Negative anticipatory processing led to marginally higher scores on the Self-focus Attention subscale of the Focus of Attention Questionnaire (FAQ). Furthermore, people with high social anxiety were found to be more likely than their low socially anxious counterparts to engage in self-focused attention and post-event processing. These findings give evidence that high and low socially anxious individuals differ in anticipatory processing, self-focused attention, and post-event processing. Furthermore, positive anticipatory processing increases confidence before social situations, but fails to reduce anxiety. This contributes to the understanding of differences in cognitive processing between individuals with high and low social anxiety. / published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Psychology

Vulnerability to major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by extensive interpersonal dysfunction. A framework that has been used to understand this impairment is theory of mind, or the ability to decode and reason about others’ mental states. Previous research has identified a mental state decoding advantage in individuals with a past history of MDD, which has been explained in terms of an enhanced social orientation in those with depression vulnerability. Although social phobia is highly comorbid with MDD, there is no research investigating theory of mind abilities in individuals with social phobia, nor has there been research examining how social anxiety may better account for the relation of depression to heightened theory of mind ability. Furthermore, there is a paucity of research investigating whether evidence of such a relation extends to the more complex task of reasoning about others’ mental states. Thus, the goals of the current investigation were to examine whether heightened ToM accuracy in those with a history of MDD is better accounted for by social phobia, and whether superior ToM skills in those with past MDD are seen across tasks that tap the domains of decoding and reasoning. Participants (N = 109) were assigned to one of four groups based on a structured diagnostic interview: (a) past MDD only (n = 36); (b) social anxiety disorder only (n = 9); (c) comorbid past MDD and social anxiety disorder (n = 23); and (d) no psychiatric history (n = 41). Results show that having a history of MDD is associated with heightened mental state reasoning abilities only in the presence of current social phobia. However, theory of mind decoding was not elevated in this condition. This suggests that social phobia differentially influences the relation of past MDD and theory of mind ability for decoding and reasoning abilities. Furthermore, social phobia without a history of depression was associated with poor theory of mind decoding and reasoning. This reduced ability in individuals with social phobia may be the result of self-focused attention or avoidance of potential negative evaluation, but future research is required to specifically address these possibilities. / Thesis (Master, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2012-08-28 10:30:44.686

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Background Adolescents and adults suffering from needle phobia have an unreasonable fear of needles that leads to negative experiences if they do not get the support they need. Negative experiences lead to patients avoiding health care, or these experiences affect important aspects of life. The suffering that a patient experiences may be obvious to some, but others hide it, and then it will be more difficult to detect. The nurse's role is to recognize the suffering and its different reactions in order to alleviate and prevent unnecessary suffering of the patient. AimThe purpose of this study was to describe about young people's and adults' experiences of having needle phobias. Method A literature review methodology, using eight quantitative articles and one qualitative article relevant for the aim of study.The analysis was done by comparing the similarities and differences from the result's content.Afterwards the most important parts in the result was coded to build categories and themes. Results Patients with needle phobias experience many different physical reactions such aspain, vasovagal reaction and other reactions during venipuncture, injections or just by seeing a needle. Long waiting times worsened the experience and strengthened the response. Patients experience more anxiety and fear because of their previous negative experiences and because of the medical environment. Experiences and reactions differ between ages, gender and level of education. Conclusion Patients with needle phobias have different experiences and reactions vary from person to person. Nurses on care institutions need more knowledge about patient'sexperiencesof needle phobias to better support and ease the suffering that afflicts the patients.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Dept. of Psychology, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.