People with phobias struggle to shift focus from feared images, delaying decisions.
A recent study has taken a closer look at how people with phobias process images compared to those without. The research used eye-tracking technology to see how long individuals fixated on certain pictures and how quickly they made decisions about what they saw. The results? Those with phobias had a harder time looking away from images and took longer to respond when the pictures showed something they feared. They became transfixed, allowing the images to consume their attention.
Phobias go beyond simple fear. They trigger intense reactions to objects, situations, or experiences that might not be dangerous at all. Whether it’s a fear of spiders, heights, enclosed spaces, or social settings, these anxieties can be overwhelming. When faced with their fear, individuals may sweat, feel their heart racing, or even struggle to breathe. It’s not just about feeling uncomfortable—phobias can shape behaviors, pushing people to go out of their way to avoid certain triggers.
Fear and anxiety are natural responses meant to keep us safe, but for those with phobias, these reactions are exaggerated. The brain is wired to spot potential threats quickly, but in people with phobias, that system goes into overdrive. Studies suggest that phobic individuals tend to lock onto threatening images more intensely and have trouble shifting their focus away—a pattern known as attention bias.
To explore this further, researcher Christina Saalwirth and her team designed an experiment using eye-tracking devices. They wanted to find out if people with phobias took longer to move their eyes away from images related to their fears. The researchers expected that while all participants would take extra time looking at common fear-inducing images (like snakes or spiders), those with phobias would struggle even more.
The study included 66 people—33 with phobias and 33 without. The groups were similar in age and gender, with an average age of around 28. Those in the phobia group were categorized by specific fears, including mice, dogs, snakes, spiders, sharp objects, and dentists. The participants first completed an online questionnaire to assess their level of fear before moving on to the experiment.
During the experiment, participants sat in front of a screen displaying images arranged in a circle. First, they were told to focus on a picture in the center. Then, they had to search for a target image within the outer ring of pictures and press a button to indicate its left or right orientation. Some of these images related directly to their phobias, while others were neutral. While they completed the task, eye-tracking devices measured how long it took them to shift their focus and make a decision.
The results showed clear differences between those with and without phobias. Phobic individuals took longer to look away from the central image, no matter what it was. But when the target image was related to their fear, their response time slowed even more. In other words, their attention got stuck. Even when the task was simple—like deciding whether an object faced left or right—the presence of something they feared made it harder for them to focus and react.
Saalwirth and her team concluded that individuals with phobias struggle with attentional control. Their brains don’t just recognize a potential threat—they fixate on it, making it difficult to shift focus and process new information. This delay happens whether the threat is real or not, showing just how deeply ingrained these fears can be.
Phobias can be frustrating and even life-limiting but understanding how they impact attention and decision-making is an important step toward better treatments. Therapy methods like exposure therapy aim to help individuals gradually face their fears in a controlled way, training their brains to react differently over time. By studying the way phobias affect attention, researchers can continue developing strategies to help people regain control over their fears and their daily lives.
Sources:
New study sheds light on the hidden attention struggle behind phobias
Eye-tracking analysis of attentional disengagement in phobic and non-phobic individuals
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