Deconstructing the snake: the relative roles of perception, cognition, and emotion on threat detection.

Previous research has documented a propensity for rapid detection of various threats like snakes and spiders in human adults, children, and even infants. The current research presents a controlled, systematic investigation of the mechanisms by which humans quickly detect threat. In 3 experiments, we examine the unique and interacting roles of low-level perceptual cues, cognitive factors such as threatening labels, and emotional state to rapid threat detection. Across studies, low-level perceptual features of snakes-namely, curvilinear shapes-consistently elicited rapid detection. Using threatening labels (Experiment 2) facilitated detection marginally more, and a fearful emotional induction (Experiment 3) facilitated detection even further. Collectively the results offer a more complete picture of the mechanisms by which humans quickly perceive threat, suggesting that rapid threat detection can result from several individual and interacting factors, including perceptual, cognitive, and emotional.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes