A pictorial version of the Extrinsic Affective Simon Task: sensitivity to generally affective and phobia-relevant stimuli in high and low spider fearful individuals.
This study assessed whether a pictorial, rather than a verbal, Extrinsic Affective Simon Task (EAST: De Houwer, 2003) is, 1) sensitive to the affective valence of normatively positive, neutral, and negative pictures, 2) sensitive to interindividual differences pertaining to fear-relevant affective associations, and 3) a valid predictor for strategic and/or reflexive fear responses. High (n = 35) and low (n = 35) spider fearful individuals completed an EAST comprising of universal positive, negative, neutral, and spider pictures. The pictorial EAST was sensitive to normatively valenced stimuli, tended to differentiate between high and low fearful individuals with respect to spider pictures, and showed independent predictive validity for avoidance behavior.
Huijding
Jorg
J
Clinical and Developmental Psychology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands. J.Huijding@rug.nl
de Jong
Peter J
PJ
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000818:Animals; D005239:Fear; D006801:Humans; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time; D013216:Reflex, Startle; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013112:Spiders; D014796:Visual Perception