The effect of alcohol dependence on automatic visuo-spatial perspective taking. (1st September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cox, Sharon; Chandler, Chris; Simpson, Andrew; Riggs, Kevin
• Is Part Of: Drug and alcohol dependence. Volume 166(2016)
• Page Start: 21
• Page End: 25
• Publication Date: 2016-09-01
• Subjects: Alcohol dependence -- Social processing -- Perspective taking -- Emotion; Drug abuse -- Periodicals; Alcoholism -- Periodicals; 616.86
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.06.007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0376-8716

Abstract

Highlights: Alcoholism is associated with cognitive deficits which may affect social processing. We tested whether alcoholism affects visuo-spatial perspective taking (VSPT). Alcohol dependent (AD) participants show no VSPT deficits in this task. Non-AD participants show an automatic VSPT effect to fearful faces only . However ADs show an automatic VSPT effect to both neutral and fearful faces. Abstract: Background: Alcoholism is associated with cognitive deficits that affect social functioning. Previous research has shown that alcoholism is associated with deficits in conscious, deliberate social processing. However, little is known about whether alcoholism also affects rapid, spontaneous processing. We therefore investigated the extent to which alcoholism affects the ability to spontaneously adopt the viewpoint of another in a visuo-spatial perspective taking (VSPT) task. Methods: VSPT was measured in participants responding to a dot probe presented for 35 ms alongside neutral faces, fearful faces and baseline stimuli (rectangles). Results: Non alcohol dependent participants showed the standard reaction time cost to fearful faces, but not neutral faces relative to baseline. However, Alcohol dependent (AD) participants showed a reaction time cost to both fearful and neutral faces. Conclusions: AD participants are not impaired in their ability to automatically adopt the perspective of another. However, unlike non-AD participants, they show automatic perspective taking to both neutral and fearful faces.