| Negative physical self-shortness(NPS-S),also known as height dissatisfaction,is defined as negative cognition about an individual’s own height(thinking himself/herself is too short),experienced negative emotions(dissatisfaction with height),and behavioral regulations(e.g.,exercise or medication to increase height)originating from someone’s dissatisfaction about physical stature(Chen et al.,2006).NPS-S is one dimension of Negative physical self(NPS)that includes weight,appearance,physical stature and whole-body dissatisfaction.The attentional biases towards body-related information for individuals with weight concerns and eating disorders have been well documented.However,our knowledge of the attentional biases of body-related information for subjects with physical stature concerns is only at the beginning.And the research on the auditory attentional biases for individuals with physical stature concerns is even rare.The present study investigated the neural mechanisms of attentional bias related to auditory physical stature-related words among height dissatisfied young males by using event-related potential(ERP)recordings.In the Experiment 1,forty-four young male participants screened by Negative Physical Self Scale-Stature Concerns subscale(NPS-S;Chen et al.,2006)were assigned into an experimental group with high levels of height dissatisfaction(HHD)and a control group with low levels of height dissatisfaction(LHD).Task irrelevant auditory tall-related words,short-related words and neutral words(300 ms)were presented unilaterally to the participants as the cue in a cue-target paradigm.Participants were required to respond to the visual target preceded by the task-irrelevant auditory cue.The results found that significant larger N2ac was elicited by tall-related words than short-related words and neutral words only for the HHD group,but not for the LHD group.LPCpc amplitudes did not differ significantly by the functions of word types and experimental groups.These results suggest an attentional orienting bias towards auditory tall-related words for young males with high height dissatisfaction.Due to the short presentation time of the auditory cues in the Experiment 1,they appeared a bit rushed and unnatural.In order to investigate the attentional biases related to auditory physical stature-related words among height dissatisfied young males when the presentation time of sound stimulation is closer to daily life.The design of Experiment 2 was same with the Experiment 1,except that the cue changed to be presented 600 ms.In the Experiment 2,thirty-two young male participants screened by NPS-S were assigned into the HHD group and LHD group.The results found that significantly larger P3 for visual stimuli preceded by tall-related words under cued condition than uncued condition only for the HHD group,but not for the LHD group.These results provide ERP evidence for spatial attention being directed away from auditory tall-related words location for young males with high height dissatisfaction.In conclusion,for physical stature dissatisfied young males,auditory tall-related words first attract attention toward their location but when presented for a long time,direct spatial attention away from the location of their origin to the opposite location.The identification of processing biases may provide an impetus for interventions to relieve negative emotions among height dissatisfied individuals. |
