174 Don’t Let A nxiety Run Your Life
images were presented for 500 milliseconds, anxious partici-
pants were quick to attend to them, but during longer time
periods (1,250 milliseconds or more), the same participants
exhibited greater avoidance tendencies.
Collectively, the evidence suggests that cognitive biases
are anxiety’s best friend. Let’s look at an example. Imagine
that you arrive at a party where you don’t know most of the
other partygoers. One of the first things you might notice is
a partygoer frowning, the host’s apparent lack of interest, or
the glare of the person standing next to you. Next, you feel
unable to maintain prolonged contact with these daunting
experiences, compelling you to shift your attention else-
where (perhaps prompting you to look down at your shoes
or check your phone for new messages). It appears as if this
cognitive bias can be divided into two stages. The first stage
poises you to learn that the situation is predominantly dan-
gerous by focusing exclusively on negative information
(frowns, lack of interest, glares). The second stage guaran-
tees that these negative experiences are the only pieces of
information you will glean from the environment, as your
eventual avoidance of the perceived threat prevents you
from observing anything that may contradict your initial
negative impression (for example, many of the partygoers
look like they are enjoying themselves, and some have smiled
at you).
How Changing Your Habits Prepares
You to Deal with Frightening Situations
With these cognitive biases in mind, we can now take a look
at a fascinating new study that has direct implications for