The influence of biological spider motion on perception and learning processes of individuals with spider phobia

• Applicant: Dr. Anke Haberkamp
• Subject Area: Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 450096725

In recent decades, numerous studies on clinical anxiety disorders have found that threatening objects are perceived more easily and quickly and cause faster responses. However, almost all of these studies used static objects. Although motion is an important object characteristic and plays a major role in some anxiety disorders-for example, spider motions are one of the most threatening features for individuals with spider phobia. Against this background, the project aims to investigate the influence of biological motion on the acquisition and maintenance of specific phobias. In our everyday perception, motion and other external features of the moving objects (e.g. shape, color, and texture) are usually linked. We do not see an isolated motion, but we see how an object moves. In order to investigate aspects of motion independently of other external features, we will use point-light stimuli. Point-light stimuli represent objects or living beings through moving groups of light points - for example, humans are represented through light points at the positions of their joints. For this project, point-light stimuli were created based on the movements of a living tarantula. Initially, we will vary certain characteristics of the motion stimuli (size, speed and direction of motion) to investigate the effect on the fear reaction. The aim is to determine the role of biological motion for the fear reaction. We expect that spider-phobic patients will evaluate spider motion as more unpleasant and frightening compared to static stimuli. Second, we will investigate the influence of spider motion on attention and learning processes. We expect that spider-phobic patients will react faster to moving spiders compared to static spider images due to their higher saliency and triggered fear. Finally, we will investigate the influence of motion stimuli on learning processes (in the therapeutic context). We expect that a longer lasting exposure to moving spider stimuli will lead to stronger therapeutic effects compared to exposure to static spider images.The main innovation of the project lies in the first, comprehensive and systematic investigation of the influence of biological motion on perception and learning processes in individuals with specific phobias. The project should help to explain the role of biological motion in the acquisition and maintenance of specific phobias and thus provide valuable information that can contribute to the improvement of psychotherapeutic treatment methods (e.g. exposure therapy).

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Winfried Rief, Ph.D.