Perceptual Thresholds for Threat Are Lowered in Anxiety: Evidence from Perceptual Psychophysics

Anxiety is believed to be characterized by heightened sensitivity to threat. The Behavior Inhibition System (BIS), a risk factor for anxiety, is hypothesized to index this threat sensitivity. The present study addresses a critical gap in the literature: Neither anxiety nor BIS have been clearly linked with greater threat sensitivity indexed by lowered perceptual thresholds. Here, we utilized psychophysical methods to precisely measure absolute perceptual thresholds for detection of threatening and neutral faces. We examined their relationships with self-reported BIS and anxious apprehension in individuals diagnosed with and without anxiety disorders. Irrespective of anxiety disorder diagnosis, higher self-reported BIS and anxious apprehension were associated with reduced perceptual thresholds for threatening versus neutral stimuli. BIS mediated the relationship between anxiety and lowered thresholds. Using adaptive psychometrics, this study offers key empirical evidence for current theories regarding greater threat sensitivity in anxiety and clarifies the role of BIS as a mediating mechanism.