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Intensity of vocal responses to spider and snake pictures in fearful individuals
Mid Sweden University, Faculty of Human Sciences, Department of Psychology.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9554-4478
Mid Sweden University, Faculty of Human Sciences, Department of Psychology.
Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
2017 (English)In: Australian journal of psychology, ISSN 0004-9530, E-ISSN 1742-9536, Vol. 69, no 3, p. 184-191Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Objective

Strong bodily responses have repeatedly been shown in participants fearful of spiders and snakes when they see pictures of the feared animal. In this study, we investigate if these fear responses affect voice intensity, require awareness of the pictorial stimuli, and whether the responses run their course once initiated.

Method

Animal fearful participants responded to arrowhead-shaped probes superimposed on animal pictures (snake, spider, or rabbit), presented either backwardly masked or with no masking. Their task was to say ‘up’ or ‘down’ as quickly as possible depending on the orientation of the arrowhead. Arrowhead probes were presented at two different stimulus onset asynchronies (SOA), 261 or 561 ms after picture onset. In addition to vocal responses, electrocardiogram, and skin conductance (SC) were recorded.

Results

No fear-specific effects emerged to masked stimuli, thereby providing no support for the notion that fear responses can be triggered by stimuli presented outside awareness. For the unmasked pictures, voice intensity was stronger and SC response amplitude was larger to probes superimposed on the feared animal than other animals, at both SOAs. Heart rate changes were greater during exposure to feared animals when probed at 561 ms, but not at 261 ms, which indicates that a fear response can change its course after initiation.

ConclusionExposure to pictures of the feared animal increased voice intensity. No support was found for responses without awareness. Observed effects on heart rate may be due to change in parasympathetic activation during fear response.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2017. Vol. 69, no 3, p. 184-191
Keywords [en]
ECG, fear, skin conductance, snake, spider, voice intensity
National Category
Psychology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-29717DOI: 10.1111/ajpy.12137ISI: 000409559500005Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-84979774590OAI: oai:DiVA.org:miun-29717DiVA, id: diva2:1058663
Available from: 2016-12-21 Created: 2016-12-21 Last updated: 2018-02-27Bibliographically approved

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Flykt, AndersBänziger, Tanja

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