Dot-probe paradigm

<h2 id="procedure-and-method">Procedure and method</h2>
<p>During the dot-probe task, participants are situated in front of a computer screen and asked to stare at a fixation cross on the center of the screen. Two stimuli, one of which is neutral and one of which is threatening, appear randomly on either side of the screen. The stimuli are presented for a predetermined length of time (most commonly 500ms), before a dot is presented in the location of one former stimulus. Participants are instructed to indicate the location of this dot as quickly as possible, either via keyboard or response box. Latency is measured automatically by the computer.  The fixation cross appears again for several seconds and then the cycle is repeated.  Quicker reaction time to the dot when it occurs in the previous location of a threatening stimulus is interpreted as vigilance to threat.
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<h2 id="clinical-uses">Clinical uses</h2>
<p>Researchers have recently begun using a modified version of the dot-probe task to retrain the attentional bias. In this version, the probe replaces the neutral stimuli 100% of the time or the salient stimuli 100% of the time. Over the course of a number of trials the attentional bias for salient stimuli can be reduced (in the case of the 'replace-neutral' condition) or enhanced (in the case of the 'replace-salient' condition).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> This method of retraining the attentional bias is called <a href="/facts/Attentional_retraining/xKzzc2B8">attentional retraining</a>.
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<h2 id="criticism">Criticism</h2>
<p>The validity of the dot-probe paradigm has recently been called into question.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a>
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<h2 id="some-studies-that-use-a-dot-probe-task">Some studies that use a dot-probe task</h2>
<ul><li>Halkiopoulos, C. (1981). Towards a psychodynamic cognitive psychology. Unpublished BSc dissertation manuscript, University College London, London, UK. <a href="https://osf.io/6y3d8/">PDF</a></li>
<li>MacLeod, C., Mathews, A. M., & Tata, P. (1986). Attentional bias in emotional disorders. <i>Journal of Abnormal Psychology</i>, 95, 15-20.</li>
<li>Amin, Z., Constable, R.T., Canli, T. (2004). Attentional bias for valenced stimuli as a function of personality in the dot-probe task. Journal of Research in Personality, 38, 15-23.</li>
<li>Bradley, B.P. (1998). Attentional Bias for Threatening Facial Expressions in Anxiety: Manipulation of Stimulus Duration.</li>
<li>Mogg, K, & Bradley, B.P. (1999) Orienting of attention to threatening facial expressions presented under conditions of restricted awareness.  Cognition and Emotion, 13, 713-740.</li>
<li>Mather, M., & Carstensen, L. L. (2003). Aging and attentional biases for emotional faces. <i>Psychological Science</i>, 14, 409-415. <a href="http://repositories.cdlib.org/postprints/129/">PDF</a></li>
<li>Schoth, D. E., & Liossi, C. (2010). "Attentional bias towards pictorial representations of pain in individuals with chronic headache". <i>The Clinical Journal of Pain</i>. 26 (3): 244–250. <a href="/facts/Doi_(identifier)/muM9Etpq">doi</a>:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1097%2FAJP.0b013e3181bed0f9">10.1097/AJP.0b013e3181bed0f9</a>. <a href="/facts/PMID_(identifier)/JlHAvMHt">PMID</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20173439">20173439</a>. <a href="/facts/S2CID_(identifier)/ldJsHa2Y">S2CID</a> <a href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:205454744">205454744</a>.{{cite journal}}:  CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)</li>
<li>Mathews, A., & MacLeod, C. (2002). "Induced processing biases have causal effects on anxiety". <i>Cognition & Emotion</i>. 16 (3): 331–354. <a href="/facts/CiteSeerX_(identifier)/SceDmd3c">CiteSeerX</a> <a href="https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.329.4292">10.1.1.329.4292</a>. <a href="/facts/Doi_(identifier)/muM9Etpq">doi</a>:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080%2F02699930143000518">10.1080/02699930143000518</a>. <a href="/facts/S2CID_(identifier)/ldJsHa2Y">S2CID</a> <a href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:11682439">11682439</a>.{{cite journal}}:  CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)</li>
<li>Eysenck, M., MacLeod, C. & Mathews, A. (1987). "Cognitive functioning and anxiety". <i>Psychological Research</i>. 39 (2–3): 189–195. <a href="/facts/Doi_(identifier)/muM9Etpq">doi</a>:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fbf00308686">10.1007/bf00308686</a>. <a href="/facts/PMID_(identifier)/JlHAvMHt">PMID</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3313488">3313488</a>. <a href="/facts/S2CID_(identifier)/ldJsHa2Y">S2CID</a> <a href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:41582695">41582695</a>.{{cite journal}}:  CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)</li></ul>

<p>Borkovec, T.D. (2004). Andrew Mathews: a brief history of a clinical scientist. In Yiend, J. (Ed.), Cognition, Emotion and Psychopathology: Theoretical, Empirical and Clinical Directions. Cambridge University Press.
</p><p>Eysenck, M. W> (1991)Trait anxiety and cognition. in C. D. Spielberger, I.G., Sarason, Z. Kulczar & J. Van Heck (Eds.), Stress and Emotion (Vol. 14). Hemisphere.
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<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Halkiopoulos (1981) <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>Eysenck, M., MacLeod, C. & Mathews, A. (1987). "Cognitive functioning and anxiety". Psychological Research. 39 (2–3): 189–195. doi:10.1007/bf00308686. PMID 3313488. S2CID 41582695.{{cite journal}}:  CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>Mathews, 1990 <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>Troller-Renfree, S.; Martin McDermott, J.; Nelson, C.A.; Zeanah, C.H.; Fox, N.A. (2014). "The effects of early foster care intervention on attention biases in previously institutionalized children in Romania". Developmental Science. 18 (5): 713–722. doi:10.1111/desc.12261. PMC 4447605. PMID 25439678. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4447605" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4447605</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:5"><p>Mathews, A., & MacLeod, C. (2002). Induced processing biases have causal effects on anxiety. Cognition & Emotion, 16(3), 331-354. <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:6"><p>Xu (2024). "No Evidence of Reliability Across 36 Variations of the Emotional Dot-Probe Task in 9,600 Participants". Clinical Psychological Science. doi:10.1177/21677026241253826. PMC 11949442. Retrieved 30 June 2024. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/21677026241253826" target="_blank">https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/21677026241253826</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
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Dot-probe paradigm open-in-new

Dot-probe paradigm