Preferential attention towards the eye-region amongst individuals with insomnia

AKRAM, Umair, ELLIS, Jason G., MYACHYKOV, Andriy and BARCLAY, Nicola L. (2017). Preferential attention towards the eye-region amongst individuals with insomnia. Journal of Sleep Research, 26 (1), 84-91.

[img]
Preview
PDF
Akram-PreferentialAttentiontTowardsTheEye-Region(AM).pdf - Accepted Version
All rights reserved.

Download (586kB) | Preview
Official URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsr.124...
Link to published version:: https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12456

Abstract

People with insomnia often perceive their own facial appearance as more tired compared with the appearance of others. Evidence also highlights the eye-region in projecting tiredness cues to perceivers, and tiredness judgements often rely on preferential attention towards this region. Using a novel eye-tracking paradigm, this study examined: (i) whether individuals with insomnia display preferential attention towards the eye-region, relative to nose and mouth regions, whilst observing faces compared with normal-sleepers; and (ii) whether an attentional bias towards the eye-region amongst individuals with insomnia is self-specific or general in nature. Twenty individuals with DSM-5 Insomnia Disorder and 20 normal-sleepers viewed 48 neutral facial photographs (24 of themselves, 24 of other people) for periods of 4000 ms. Eye movements were recorded using eye-tracking, and first fixation onset, first fixation duration and total gaze duration were examined for three interest-regions (eyes, nose, mouth). Significant group × interest-region interactions indicated that, regardless of the face presented, participants with insomnia were quicker to attend to, and spent more time observing, the eye-region relative to the nose and mouth regions compared with normal-sleepers. However, no group × face × interest-region interactions were established. Thus, whilst individuals with insomnia displayed preferential attention towards the eye-region in general, this effect was not accentuated during self-perception. Insomnia appears to be characterized by a general, rather than self-specific, attentional bias towards the eye-region. These findings contribute to our understanding of face perception in insomnia, and provide tentative support for cognitive models of insomnia demonstrating that individuals with insomnia monitor faces in general, with a specific focus around the eye-region, for cues associated with tiredness.

Item Type: Article
Departments - Does NOT include content added after October 2018: Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities > Department of Psychology, Sociology and Politics
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12456
Page Range: 84-91
Depositing User: Umair Akram
Date Deposited: 25 Aug 2017 11:01
Last Modified: 18 Mar 2021 04:06
URI: https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/15327

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics