Attention bias toward noncooperative people. A dot probe classification study in cheating detection

Evolution-inspired research assumes the existence of brain mechanisms that scan for information that might signal noncooperative behavior. In this study, we demonstrate an automatic attention bias for threatening social interactions involving untrustworthy partners. Using a dot probe classification task, we found that, compared to unknown cooperators, attention was oriented significantly more toward the faces of unknown players who decided not to cooperate during a Prisoner's Dilemma Game. The present results thus suggest that an automatic, preconscious focus of attention underlies our ability to identify noncooperative players in social exchange situations. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.