Dot-Probe Task¶
The Dot-Probe Task is a widely used experimental paradigm in psychology to evaluate attentional processes in the presence of competing stimuli. It has been instrumental in understanding how individuals allocate attention when simultaneously exposed to emotionally salient and neutral stimuli. The dot-probe paradigm is also commonly employed in clinical and intervention settings, particularly to study and modulate attentional biases related to anxiety and emotional processing.
The task was first introduced by MacLeod, Mathews, and Tata (1986) as a modification of the Posner cueing paradigm (Posner, 1980), incorporating emotionally relevant stimuli. Since then, the dot-probe task has become a standard method in studies of attentional bias, particularly in anxiety research. Related early work by Halkiopoulos (1981) in auditory domains also contributed to its conceptual origins. Over time, it has been adapted to various modalities and populations.
In a typical dot-probe task, participants fixate centrally before viewing two stimuli (e.g., an angry and a neutral face) presented simultaneously, one on each side of the screen. After a short duration, the stimuli disappear, and a dot (probe) appears in the location of one of the stimuli. Participants indicate the location of the probe via keypress.
Congruent trial: The probe replaces the emotional stimulus.
Incongruent trial: The probe replaces the neutral stimulus.
Faster reaction times on congruent trials indicate an attentional bias toward emotional stimuli.