Lam, Lok HangLok HangLamDr. LAM Yin-Hung, BessBessDr. LAM Yin-HungDr. LI Wang On, AlexAlexDr. LI Wang OnNg, Sze KiSze KiNgDr. CHOW Tak Sang, JasonJasonDr. CHOW Tak SangProf. TANG So Kum, CatherineCatherineProf. TANG So Kum2026-05-282026-05-282026Lam, L. H., Lam, Y. H., Li, W. O., Ng, S. K., Chow, T. S., & Tang, S. K. (2026). Gendered vulnerability in threat detection: Eye-tracking evidence for sex-differentiated schizotypal trait expression. In Hong Kong Shue Yan University (Ed.). Conference proceeding of international conference on human resilience: Navigating life changes & challenges (HRCONF2026). International Conference on Human Resilience: Navigating Life Changes & Challenges (HRCONF2026), Hong Kong Shue Yan University (pp. 35). Hong Kong Shue Yan University.http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11861/27267Schizotypal personality traits mark individuals as vulnerable to peer difficulties and mental health crises. However, self-report screening measures alone fail to capture how these vulnerabilities manifest distinctly across genders. Eye-tracking provides insight into attentional allocation to threat, offering gender-sensitive biomarkers that self-report questionnaires may miss. Understanding these differences is crucial for fostering resilience and tailoring support strategies.<br> A sample of 119 healthy adults (ages 18–55) completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief (SPQ-B) and demographic information. Participants were administered with an eye-tracking attention task containing high-threat and mild-threat visual stimuli, following mood induction (calm or anxious conditions). Using an EyeLink 1000 Plus system, first-look behavior was measured (whether participants’ initial gaze directed toward threat stimuli). Repeated-measures ANOVA and gender-stratified correlations were conducted to examine the threat-detection patterns and their associations with personality risk dimensions.<br> A three-way interaction (mood-condition × threat-level × gender; p = .050, η²ₚ = .032) revealed that females demonstrated more frequent first-look to mild-threat stimuli after anxious mood induction, while males showed weakened threat-orienting responses (t(117) = −3.57, p = 0.014, with Bonferroni correction). Critically, personality correlates differed by gender: in females, SPQ-B Disorganization showed negative correlation with threat-directed attention (r = −0.294, p = .009), whereas in males, the same dimension showed positive correlation (r = 0.335, p = 0.032).<br> These findings reveal distinct neurobehavioral phenotypes of schizotypal traits. Females’ heightened threat-orienting after mood challenge reflects anxiety-based reactivity, while males’ blunted responses suggest emotional detachment. Crucially, opposing personality correlates indicate that identical SPQ-B Disorganization scores mask opposing mechanisms: in females, higher disorganization paradoxically reduces threat-directed attention, reflecting cognitive fragmentation that impairs threat-processing, while in males, higher disorganization associates with enhanced threat-monitoring despite similar trait endorsement. Understanding these divergent resilience pathways enables development of gender-matched interventions targeting each group’s specific strengths and vulnerabilities.enGendered VulnerabilitySchizotypal TreatEye-TrackingThreat-Orienting ResponsesConference Paper