A pilot study of an adaptive, idiographic, and multi-component attention bias modification program for social anxiety disorder
Open accessAbstract
An attentional bias toward threat may be one mechanism underlying clinical anxiety. Attention bias modification (ABM) aims to reduce symptoms of anxiety disorders by directly modifying this deficit. However, existing ABM training programs have not consistently modified attentional bias and may not reflect optimal learning needs of participants (i.e., lack of explicit instruction, training goal unclear to participants, lack of feedback, non-adaptive, inability to differentiate or target different components of attentional bias). In the current study, we introduce a new adaptive ABM program (AABM) and test its feasibility in individuals with social anxiety disorder. We report task characteristics and preliminary evidence that this task consistently modifies attentional bias and that changes in attentional bias (but not number of trials) correlate with the level of symptom reduction. These results suggest that AABM may be a targeted method for the next generation of studies examining the utility of attention training.
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ABM threat-avoidance training is repetitious and boring, which may reduce treatment compliance.
“ABM threat-avoidance training is also repetitious and boring, which may reduce treatment compliance [20,21].”
From Anxiety and Threat-Related Attention: Cognitive-Motivational Framework and Treatment (2018) · cites this paper as [21]
Lack of consensus about why conventional ABM has inconsistent effects has encouraged development of alternative methods with preliminary efficacy data.
“Lack of consensus regarding why conventional ABM threat-avoidance training has inconsistent effects (discussed earlier) has encouraged the development of various alternative methods which have preliminary data suggesting efficacy”
From Anxiety and Threat-Related Attention: Cognitive-Motivational Framework and Treatment (2018) · cites this paper as [21]
In most ABM training methods, nonthreat targets are more likely to appear in different locations from threat cues, encouraging attention-orienting away from threat.
“In most ABM training methods, nonthreat targets are more likely to appear in different locations [ 5 0 8 _ T D $ D I F F ] from threat cues, which encourages attention-orienting away from threat.”
From Anxiety and Threat-Related Attention: Cognitive-Motivational Framework and Treatment (2018) · cites this paper as [21]
Clinical studies report anxiety reduction following adaptive ABM, gaze-contingent music-reward therapy combined with CBT, emotional face visual search training, and enhanced positive search training.
“Clinical studies which evaluate multi-session ABM training in individuals with anxiety disorders report anxiety reduction following adaptive ABM (uncontrolled pilot study), gaze-contingent music-reward therapy (combined with CBT), emotional face visual search training, and enhanced positive search training [21,69,72,75,76].”
From Anxiety and Threat-Related Attention: Cognitive-Motivational Framework and Treatment (2018) · cites this paper as [21]
Several ABM training methods explicitly inform participants of training goals, which should facilitate goal-directed cognitive control.
“Several ABM training methods explicitly inform participants of the training goals, and this should also facilitate goal-directed cognitive control (adaptive ABM, A-FACT, enhanced positive search training).”
From Anxiety and Threat-Related Attention: Cognitive-Motivational Framework and Treatment (2018) · cites this paper as [21]
Evidence for therapeutic efficacy of alternative ABM training methods is limited.
“Evidence for the therapeutic efficacy of alternative ABM training methods is limited.”
From Anxiety and Threat-Related Attention: Cognitive-Motivational Framework and Treatment (2018) · cites this paper as [21]
Clinical studies of individuals with anxiety disorders suggest therapeutic benefit of combining differing ABM training methods with explicit goal-directed instructions.
“Clinical studies of individuals with anxiety disorders suggest therapeutic benefit of combining differing ABM training methods with explicit goal-directed instructions (e.g., informing participants that training goals include learning skills of attending preferentially to positive/calm/task-relevant nonthreat information rather than to irrelevant minor threats, for use in stressful situations) [21”
From Anxiety and Threat-Related Attention: Cognitive-Motivational Framework and Treatment (2018) · cites this paper as [21]
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Individual attentional bias is positive or negative? It depends on trait anxietyPreprint
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- Authors
- Amir, N., Kuckertz, J. M., & Strege, M. V.
- Affiliations
- San Diego State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Amir, Nader
- Venue
- Cognitive Therapy and Research
- Published
- 2016-05-07
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 661-671
- ISSN
- 0147-5916 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-2819
- PMC
- PMC5082704
- OpenAlex
- W2467987941
- Cited by
- 19
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 6
- FWCI
- 4.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Cognitive Therapy and Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (R01 MH087623)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Assessments
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- attentional bias modification, social anxiety disorder, adaptive training, symptom relief, feasibility
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