Eye-size effects in the dot-probe task: Greater sclera exposure predicts delayed disengagement from fearful faces.

ABSTRACT: Fearful facial expressions are nonverbal and biologically salient signals of potential threat that automatically hold, capture, and direct observers' attention. They are characterized by enlarged eye whites and dilated pupils, and fearful eyes alone are sufficient to capture attention. The morphological properties of the eye region, such as sclera exposure, are thought to play an important role in nonverbal communication. Specifically, increased sclera exposure associated with fearful expressions has been shown to moderate how observers' shift their attention toward the direction of another's gaze. Yet, the extent to which variability in sclera exposure possibly impacts the capture and hold of attention by fearful faces is untested. To address this, a sample of 249 adults completed a dot-p

SUBMITTER: Aday JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10191328 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature