Using the Dot probe task to explore whether negative emoji elicit attentional bias
What is attentional bias?
Attentional bias refers to how our perception is affected by selective factors in attention. In the case of face processing, we typically observe attentional bias to negative faces such as those depicting fear or anger, given these provide social information which is useful for survival advantage.
What is the Dot Probe Task?
The dot probe task is an experimental task used to measure the extent to which we are draw to pay attention to certain types of stimuli, particularly towards emotional stimuli. Two stimuli appear on a screen; a neutral one and an emotional one, such as a threat-related image. A probe, usually a dot, then appears in one of the locations. Participants respond to the probe's orientation, and faster responses when the probe appears at the same location as the threat-related stimulus indicate an attentional bias toward that stimulus.
Does attentional bias apply to (negative) emoji?
Given we typically observe attentional bias towards negative faces depicting emotions such as anger or fear, if emoji faces serve an equivalent emotional processing function, we should expect to see attentional bias effects for negative emoji stimuli too.