title: The impact of hypervigilance: evidence for a forward feedback loop.
abstract: A number of prominent theories suggest that hypervigilance and attentional bias play a central role in anxiety disorders and PTSD. It is argued that hypervigilance may focus attention on potential threats and precipitate or maintain a forward feedback loop in which anxiety is increased. While there is considerable data to suggest that attentional bias exists, there is little evidence to suggest that it plays this proposed but critical role. This study investigated how manipulating hypervigilance would impact the forward feedback loop via self-reported anxiety, visual scanning, and pupil size. Seventy-one participants were assigned to either a hypervigilant, pleasant, or control condition while looking at a series of neutral pictures. Those in the hypervigilant condition had significantly more fixations than those in the other two groups. These fixations were more spread out and covered a greater percentage of the ambiguous scene. Pupil size was also significantly larger in the hypervigilant condition relative to the control condition. Thus the study provided support for the role of hypervigilance in increasing visual scanning and arousal even to neutral stimuli and even when there is no change in self-reported anxiety. Implications for the role this may play in perpetuating a forward feedback loop are discussed.
authors: Middlebury College, Department of Psychology, Middlebury, VT, United States. Electronic address: mkimble@middlebury.edu.
authors: Matthew
authors: M
authors: Kimble
authors: Middlebury College, Department of Psychology, Middlebury, VT, United States.
authors: Mariam
authors: M
authors: Boxwala
authors: Middlebury College, Department of Psychology, Middlebury, VT, United States.
authors: Whitney
authors: W
authors: Bean
authors: Middlebury College, Department of Psychology, Middlebury, VT, United States.
authors: Kristin
authors: K
authors: Maletsky
authors: Middlebury College, Department of Psychology, Middlebury, VT, United States.
authors: Jessica
authors: J
authors: Halper
authors: Middlebury College, Department of Psychology, Middlebury, VT, United States.
authors: Kaleigh
authors: K
authors: Spollen
authors: Norwich University, Department of Psychology, Northfield, VT, United States.
authors: Kevin
authors: K
authors: Fleming
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anxiety; Attentional bias; Eye tracking; Hypervigilance; PTSD