In short
The Dot Probe task measures attentional bias toward emotionally or motivationally salient stimuli. Originally developed in anxiety research by MacLeod, Mathews and Tata (1986), it is widely used in clinical, social, and cognitive psychology to investigate selective attention.
The Dot Probe Task
Participants view two stimuli simultaneously (e.g., emotional and neutral faces). After a brief presentation, a probe appears in the location of one of the stimuli. Participants respond as quickly as possible to the probe.
Reaction times are a key measure. Faster responses to probes replacing certain stimuli indicate attentional bias.
What does the Dot Probe measure?
The primary measure is the difference in reaction time between probes replacing emotionally salient versus neutral stimuli.
Positive bias scores suggest preferential attention to particular stimulus categories.
What is the theory behind it?
The task is grounded in attentional bias theories, which propose that individuals preferentially allocate attention toward threat or reward-related stimuli. It is often used in research on anxiety, addiction, and social cognition.
Can I use a Dot Probe task in online research?
Yes, absolutely! In fact, other researchers have already used Dot Probe tasks in their own research. Have a look in the papers section below for more information.
How does it work in Gorilla?
You can try out and clone our sample of a Dot Probe task. Of course, you can also tweak this sample to use your own stimuli.
| Task Builder 2 | Try as participant | View/Edit in Gorilla |
Are there any papers Gorilla users have written about Dot Probe tasks?
Yes, there are! Have a look at the following articles:
Gaze cues (repeatedly) fail to influence person evaluation
The effect of attention on body size adaptation and body dissatisfaction
References
Albery, I. P., Shove, E., Bartlett, G., Frings, D., & Spada, M. M. (2022). Individual differences in selective attentional bias for healthy and unhealthy food-related stimuli and social identity as a vegan/vegetarian dissociate “healthy” and “unhealthy” orthorexia nervosa. Appetite, 178, 106261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2022.106261
Gregory, S. E., Pullinen, V., & Jackson, M. C. (2026). Gaze cues (repeatedly) fail to influence person evaluation. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 79(1), 124-144. https://doi.org/10.1177/17470218251333425
House, T., Stephen, I. D., Penton-Voak, I. S., & Brooks, K. R. (2022). The effect of attention on body size adaptation and body dissatisfaction. Royal Society Open Science, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.211718
MacLeod, C., Mathews, A., & Tata, P. (1986). Attentional bias in emotional disorders. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 95(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.95.1.15
