The Influence of Holistic Face Processing on Attentional Biases for Emotional Faces in Anxious children

This study was performed to examine the effect of holistic face processing and trait anxiety on children’s attentional biases toward schematic natural and jumbled emotional faces (angry، happy، neutral). The participants were entered into study considering their scores in Trait anxiety inventory for children (Spielberger، 1973) and the results of a semi-structured interview. 30 high-and 30 low anxious children completed pictorial version of the modified dot-probe task. Data were analyzed by a repeated measures design procedure. The results showed that High trait anxious children show attentional bias toward angry faces (vigilance). In contrast، low trait anxious children show attentional bias away from angry faces (avoidance). These finding was observed only in natural angry emotional face and on trace of attentional bias was observed in jumbled emotional faces. The study findings consistent with previous studies in the relationship between anxiety and attentional bias to threat in children and confirmed view of the Holistic face processing in the recognition of faces.