Eye-size effects in the dot-probe task: Greater sclera exposure predicts delayed disengagement from fearful faces

Fearful facial expressions are nonverbal and biologically salient signals of potential threat that automatically hold, capture, and direct observers’ attention. They are characterized by enlarged eye whites and dilated pupils, and fearful eyes alone are sufficient to capture attention. The morphological properties of the eye region, such as sclera exposure, are thought to play an important role in nonverbal communication. Specifically, increased sclera exposure associated with fearful expressions has been shown to moderate how observers’ shift their attention toward the direction of another’s gaze. Yet, the extent to which variability in sclera exposure possibly impacts the capture and hold of attention by fearful faces is untested. To address this, a sample of 249 adults completed a dot-probe task of selective attention with fearful and neutral faces. The results suggested that (1) fearful faces were prioritized over neutral faces (i.e., they captured and held attention), (2) greater sclera exposure at target locations facilitated reaction times, and (3) attention was held by greater sclera exposure of fearful faces at task irrelevant locations resulting in delayed disengagement. Collectively, the results indicate that fearful facial expressions and sclera exposure modulate spatial attention through independent and interactive mechanisms. Sclera exposure appears to be an important facilitator of nonverbal communication and perhaps represents an understudied variable in social cognition more broadly.