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Cell Biology JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

Measuring Attentional Biases for Threat in Children and Adults

DOI: 10.3791/52190-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Implement a touch-screen visual search paradigm to measure threat detection
  • ✓ Identify attentional biases for threatening stimuli in pediatric and adult populations
  • ✓ Interpret reaction time data as indicators of threat-related cognitive prioritization
  • ✓ Adapt the protocol for cross-lifespan developmental comparisons
Protocol

Here we describe a touch-screen visual search paradigm that can be used to study threat detection across the lifespan. The paradigm has already been used in various studies demonstrating that both children and adults detect threatening stimuli like snakes, spiders, and angry faces faster than non-threatening stimuli.

Difficulty
intermediate
Total time
~15–20 min per participant (single testing session)

Steps

1
Prepare threat and non-threat visual stimuli

Assemble image sets including threatening stimuli (snakes, spiders, angry faces) and matched non-threatening controls. Validate stimulus selection and ensure consistent presentation parameters.

▶ 01:03
2
Configure touch-screen equipment and software

Set up the touch-screen display system and calibrate visual search task software. Verify stimulus presentation timing and response detection accuracy before participant testing.

▶ 02:33
3
Administer visual search task to child participants

Guide child participants through the touch-screen paradigm, instructing them to detect and touch target stimuli among distractors. Record reaction times and accuracy for threatening and non-threatening trials.

▶ 03:52
4
Analyze attentional bias data across age groups

Compare reaction time differences between threatening and non-threatening stimulus detection in children versus adults. Quantify attentional bias magnitude as evidence of threat-related cognitive prioritization.

▶ 06:48
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