Bauer Anika, Schneider Silvia, Waldorf Manuel, Cordes Martin, Huber Thomas J, Braks Karsten, Vocks Silja
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany.
Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Int J Eat Disord. 2017 Oct;50(10):1205-1213. doi: 10.1002/eat.22771. Epub 2017 Aug 29.
The vigilance-avoidance theory postulates a specific threat-related pattern of attention deployment, characterized by initial orientation towards fear-evoking stimuli and subsequent directing of attention away from them. The current eye-tracking study was the first to examine the applicability of the theory for patients with eating disorders, who perceive their own body as a highly aversive, threat-evoking stimulus.
N = 56 female adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) and n = 43 healthy controls (HC) aged 13-18 viewed own-body pictures while their eye movements were recorded. Relative fixation times on self-defined unattractive body areas were compared between the groups by sequencing the overall presentation time of 6,000 ms into six intervals à 1,000 ms.
Participants with AN showed a significantly stronger attentional bias for unattractive body areas than HC within the time intervals 1, 2, and 3. However, for intervals 4, 5, and 6, no significant group differences occurred. Within the AN group, the bias for unattractive body areas was significantly stronger in interval 1 compared to intervals 4, 5, and 6; whereas within the HC group, a stable pattern of attention deployment emerged. In AN, early attention deployment was positively correlated with the negative affect reported after photo presentation.
The early vigilance in AN and the subsequent decrease in attention to unattractive body parts is in line with our assumptions. However, no indication of attentional avoidance was found. The current findings partially support the vigilance-avoidance theory for the exposure to one's own body in adolescents with AN.
警觉-回避理论假定了一种与威胁相关的特定注意力分配模式，其特征是最初朝向引发恐惧的刺激定向，随后将注意力从这些刺激上转移开。当前的眼动追踪研究首次检验了该理论对饮食失调患者的适用性，这些患者将自己的身体视为高度厌恶、引发威胁的刺激。
56名年龄在13 - 18岁的神经性厌食症（AN）女性青少年和43名健康对照者（HC）观看自己身体的图片，同时记录他们的眼动。通过将6000毫秒的总呈现时间分成六个1000毫秒的间隔，比较两组在自定义的不吸引人身体部位上的相对注视时间。
在第1、2和3个时间间隔内，AN患者对不吸引人身体部位的注意力偏向显著强于HC组。然而，在第4、5和6个时间间隔内，两组之间没有显著差异。在AN组中，与第4、5和6个时间间隔相比，第1个时间间隔内对不吸引人身体部位的偏向显著更强；而在HC组中，出现了稳定的注意力分配模式。在AN患者中，早期注意力分配与照片呈现后报告的消极情绪呈正相关。
AN患者早期的警觉以及随后对不吸引人身体部位注意力的下降与我们的假设一致。然而，未发现注意力回避的迹象。当前的研究结果部分支持了警觉-回避理论在AN青少年面对自己身体时的适用性。
