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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Measuring Attentional Biases for Threat in Children and Adults

Measuring Attentional Biases for Threat in Children and Adults

Published on: October 19, 2014

'Eavesdropping' on social interactions biases threat perception in visuospatial pathways.

Donna M Lloyd¹, C India Morrison

¹School of Psychological Sciences, Zochonis Building, The University of Manchester, Brunswick Street, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. Donna.Lloyd@manchester.ac.uk

Neuropsychologia

|September 28, 2007

Summary

Brain activity in visuospatial and parietal areas increased when viewing threatening individuals close to another person. This response was absent when individuals were farther apart, highlighting the importance of spatial proximity in social threat perception.

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Measuring Attentional Biases for Threat in Children and Adults

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Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions

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Published on: July 6, 2011

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Social Cognition
Visual Processing

Background:

Understanding social interactions and threat perception is crucial for survival.
The brain's processing of spatial relationships and social cues is complex.
Previous research has explored neural correlates of threat detection, but the role of spatial proximity in social threat perception requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the neural mechanisms underlying the perception of social threat.
To examine how spatial proximity between individuals influences brain activity during threat perception.
To identify brain regions involved in processing social threat within personal and body space.

Main Methods:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activity.
Participants viewed photographs depicting interpersonal threat scenarios.
Stimuli varied in terms of the perceived threat level and spatial distance between individuals.

Main Results:

Visuospatial areas (temporal-occipital junction, extrastriate, fusiform cortices) and the right superior parietal lobe (BA7) showed increased activity when a threatening person was close to another's personal space.
This heightened response in visuospatial areas was absent when individuals were farther apart.
Posterior parietal areas, associated with coding personal space, responded to proximity with another person's body space, irrespective of perceived threat.

Conclusions:

The spatial dimension of social interactions is a significant factor in understanding potentially dangerous social situations.
Higher-level visual cortices contribute to categorizing individuals based on their features within social contexts.
Neural responses to social threat are modulated by the spatial configuration of individuals involved.