People with Atopic Dermatitis show no attentional bias to individually adjusted threat words

Background:The hypervigilance hypothesis of psychosocial distress posits that individuals with visible skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis, exhibit an attentional bias toward disease- or stigma-related information. A previous study found no evidence for this effect, potentially due to the use of standardized threat word lists with suboptimal personal relevance. Objectives: The present study aimed to test the hypervigilance hypothesis using individually tailored threat words to enhance ecological validity. Methods: Across four pre-registered reaction time experiments, we assessed attentional bias in patients with atopic dermatitis using a spatial cueing task. We manipulated stimulus onset asynchrony (300 ms vs. 1300 ms), reflecting early attentional engagement and later, more controlled processing phases respectively, and threat type (sensory-affective vs. stigma-related). Results: Results consistently showed no evidence of attentional bias toward personally relevant threat words compared to neutral control words. This was true during both attention processing phases. These findings do not support the hypervigilance hypothesis. Conclusions: In combination with an earlier negative report, we conclude that there is currently no evidence that attentional bias, as assessed by the spatial cueing task, plays a central role in the psychological burden associated with atopic dermatitis.