Are snakes and spiders special? Acquisition of negative valence and modified attentional processing by non-fear-relevant animal stimuli
Previous research has demonstrated differences in processing between fear-relevant stimuli, such as snakes and spiders, and non-fear-relevant stimuli. The current research examined whether non-fear-relevant animal stimuli, such as dogs, birds and fish, were processed like fear-relevant stimuli follo...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
2009
|
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/34062 |
| _version_ | 1848754119587659776 |
|---|---|
| author | Purkis, H. Lipp, Ottmar |
| author_facet | Purkis, H. Lipp, Ottmar |
| author_sort | Purkis, H. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Previous research has demonstrated differences in processing between fear-relevant stimuli, such as snakes and spiders, and non-fear-relevant stimuli. The current research examined whether non-fear-relevant animal stimuli, such as dogs, birds and fish, were processed like fear-relevant stimuli following aversive learning. Pictures of a priori fear-relevant animals, snakes and spiders, were evaluated as negative in affective priming and ratings and were preferentially attended to in a visual search task. Pictures of dogs, birds and fish that had been trained as CS+ in an aversive conditioning design were evaluated more negatively and facilitated dot probe detection relative to CS- pictures. The current studies demonstrated that stimuli viewed as positive prior to aversive learning were negative and were preferentially attended to after a brief learning episode. We propose that aversive learning may provide a mechanism for the acquisition of stimulus fear relevance. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:35:21Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-34062 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:35:21Z |
| publishDate | 2009 |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-340622017-09-13T15:10:07Z Are snakes and spiders special? Acquisition of negative valence and modified attentional processing by non-fear-relevant animal stimuli Purkis, H. Lipp, Ottmar Previous research has demonstrated differences in processing between fear-relevant stimuli, such as snakes and spiders, and non-fear-relevant stimuli. The current research examined whether non-fear-relevant animal stimuli, such as dogs, birds and fish, were processed like fear-relevant stimuli following aversive learning. Pictures of a priori fear-relevant animals, snakes and spiders, were evaluated as negative in affective priming and ratings and were preferentially attended to in a visual search task. Pictures of dogs, birds and fish that had been trained as CS+ in an aversive conditioning design were evaluated more negatively and facilitated dot probe detection relative to CS- pictures. The current studies demonstrated that stimuli viewed as positive prior to aversive learning were negative and were preferentially attended to after a brief learning episode. We propose that aversive learning may provide a mechanism for the acquisition of stimulus fear relevance. 2009 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/34062 10.1080/02699930801993973 restricted |
| spellingShingle | Purkis, H. Lipp, Ottmar Are snakes and spiders special? Acquisition of negative valence and modified attentional processing by non-fear-relevant animal stimuli |
| title | Are snakes and spiders special? Acquisition of negative valence and modified attentional processing by non-fear-relevant animal stimuli |
| title_full | Are snakes and spiders special? Acquisition of negative valence and modified attentional processing by non-fear-relevant animal stimuli |
| title_fullStr | Are snakes and spiders special? Acquisition of negative valence and modified attentional processing by non-fear-relevant animal stimuli |
| title_full_unstemmed | Are snakes and spiders special? Acquisition of negative valence and modified attentional processing by non-fear-relevant animal stimuli |
| title_short | Are snakes and spiders special? Acquisition of negative valence and modified attentional processing by non-fear-relevant animal stimuli |
| title_sort | are snakes and spiders special? acquisition of negative valence and modified attentional processing by non-fear-relevant animal stimuli |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/34062 |