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Socially anxious tendencies affect neural processing of gaze perception
1Electrical Engineering Program, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashi-Mita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 214-8571, Japan; Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Kojimachi Business Center Building, 5-3-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan.
Brain and Cognition
|August 12, 2017
Summary
Individuals with high social anxiety (HSA) show distinct brain responses to direct eye gaze. Their brains exhibit heightened attention to direct gazes, unlike those with low social anxiety (LSA).
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Social Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Social anxiety is frequently triggered by the perception of others' gaze.
- Understanding the neural underpinnings of gaze perception in social anxiety is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate event-related potentials (ERPs) associated with eye gaze perception in individuals with high (HSA) versus low (LSA) social anxiety tendencies.
- To explore how neural responses to direct vs. averted gaze differ based on social anxiety levels.
Main Methods:
- Measured event-related potentials (ERPs) using electroencephalography (EEG).
- Presented participants with grayscale images of eye regions: direct gaze, averted gaze, or closed eyes.
- Compared ERPs (N170, P2) between HSA and LSA groups across different gaze conditions.
Main Results:
- Eye gaze stimuli evoked negative ERPs (N170) and positive ERPs (P2).
- N170 amplitude was unaffected by social anxiety levels.
- P2 amplitude was significantly larger in the HSA group compared to the LSA group.
- HSA group showed shorter P2 latencies for direct gaze versus averted gaze, unlike the LSA group.
Conclusions:
- Neural processing of eye gaze is significantly modulated by social anxiety.
- Individuals with HSA exhibit heightened attentional processing of direct gaze, indicated by enhanced and faster P2 responses.
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