The DOI matches its Crossref record; 19 of the 19 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Effects of positive interpretive bias modification in highly anxious individuals
Abstract
Over the past 20 years evidence has accumulated that individuals suffering from anxiety tend to interpret ambiguous information as threatening. Considering the causal role of this interpretive bias in anxiety, it was recently established that modifying interpretive biases influences anxiety. This suggests that anxiety can be clinically treated by directly targeting this interpretive bias. The present study was designed to modify a negative interpretive bias in highly anxious individuals, and subsequently assess the hypothesized beneficial effects on clinical measures. High trait-anxious participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: a positive interpretational Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM-I) or a control condition (n=2 x 17). The program was offered online for eight consecutive days. Upon completing the program, participants who had followed positive CBM-I were less state and trait-anxious compared to the control group. Additionally, positively trained participants scored lower on a measure of general psychopathology (SCL-90). No effects were observed on social anxiety and stress vulnerability. The mixed pattern of findings renders them rather inconclusive, leaving interpretations of the potential therapeutic merits of CBM-I open for future research.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“which can lead to a subsequent shift in social anxiety levels (Bowler et al., 2012; Murphy et al., 2007; Salemink et al., 2009).”
From Acceptability and Co-Development of an Online Cognitive Bias Modification Intervention for Emerging Adults With Hazardous Alcohol Use and Social Anxiety: A Mixed Methods Study (2020) · cites this paper as Salemink et al., 2009
In the citing paper
“For the beta version, social scenarios were translated versions of those used in previous research (Mathews and Mackintosh, 2000; Salemink et al., 2014; Salemink et al., 2009), adapted to be made more suitable for the developmental context of the study's target age range (18 to 25 years; e.g., changing a scenario that suggested a person had children) and the Australian context (e.g., changing the”
From Acceptability and Co-Development of an Online Cognitive Bias Modification Intervention for Emerging Adults With Hazardous Alcohol Use and Social Anxiety: A Mixed Methods Study (2020) · cites this paper as Salemink et al., 2009
In the citing paper
“For example, watching stressful videos [39], trying to solve an unsolvable anagram task under time pressure ‘knowing’ that ‘most people have no problems solving it in time’, e.g., see [9] or giving a speech, e.g. see [55] should be stressful for most individuals.”
From How to boost positive interpretations? A Meta-Analysis of the effectiveness of cognitive bias modification for interpretation (2014) · cites this paper as [9]
Citations
Cites
(1970) · Cited by 24,983
Measurement of social-evaluative anxiety.
Watson, D., & Friend, R. (1969) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/h0027806 · Cited by 3,467
An Introduction to Generalized Linear Models
Ziegel, E. (2002) · Technometrics · doi:10.1198/tech.2002.s91 · Cited by 2,825
An Introduction to Generalized Linear Models.
Chang, P. C., & Dobson, A. J. (1991) · Journal of the American Statistical Association · doi:10.2307/2290548 · Cited by 2,533
MacLeod, C., Rutherford, E., Campbell, L., Ebsworthy, G., & Holker, L. (2002) · Journal of Abnormal Psychology · doi:10.1037/0021-843x.111.1.107 · Cited by 1,334 · cited 1×
“The other scale assessed depression and was labeled at opposite ends with happy and depressed (MacLeod et al., 2002).”
BackgroundTechnology in mental health care delivery systems
Sidowski, J. B., Johnson, J. H., & Williams, T. A. (1980) · Ablex Pub. Corp. eBooks · Cited by 977
Induced emotional interpretation bias and anxiety.
Mathews, A., & Mackintosh, B. (2000) · Journal of Abnormal Psychology · doi:10.1037/0021-843x.109.4.602 · Cited by 739 · cited 4×
“While results from the Mathews et al. study (2007) are encouraging, several issues demand clarification.”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluentialBias in interpretation of ambiguous sentences related to threat in anxiety
Eysenck, M. W., Mogg, K., May, J., Richards, A., & Mathews, A. (1991) · Journal of Abnormal Psychology · doi:10.1037/0021-843x.100.2.144 · Cited by 516
Social phobia and interpretation of social events
Stopa, L. L., & Clark, D. M. (2000) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/s0005-7967(99)00043-1 · Cited by 505
Negative interpretation bias in social phobia
Amin, N., Foa, E. B., & Coles, M. E. (1998) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/s0005-7967(98)00060-6 · Cited by 386
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 101–142 of 142
Frommelt, T., Traykova, M., Platt, B., & Wittekind, C. E. (2023) · Pilot and Feasibility Studies · doi:10.1186/s40814-023-01371-6 · Cited by 2
“In the placebo condition, half of the scenarios were resolved positively and the other half were resolved negatively to avoid creating a bias for a positive or negative resolution of scenarios in general [46].”
BackgroundPavlou, K., Manoli, A., Benson, V., & Hadwin, J. A. (2024) · Journal of Cognitive Psychology · doi:10.1080/20445911.2024.2402495 · Cited by 2
Blankers, M., Salemink, E., & Wiers, R. W. H. J. (2024) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-59936-1_14 · Cited by 2
Self-citationMacDonald, E. M. (2021) · doi:10.32920/ryerson.14656167.v1 · Cited by 2
Emotion ensemble judgement: Cognitive training for a positive perspective.
Ngai, H. H. T., & Jin, J. (2025) · British Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjop.12784 · Cited by 1
Interpretation bias in emotional disorders: a selective review
Hirsch, C. R., & Mathews, A. (2025) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2025.104948 · Cited by 4
Suway, J. G., & Fox, N. A. (2012) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195315455.003.0003 · Cited by 1
Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Specific Phobia
Zinbarg, R. E., Williams, A. L., Kramer, A. M., & Schmidt, M. R. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/med-psych/9780197542521.003.0007 · Cited by 3
A randomized controlled trial modifying insomnia-consistent interpretation bias in students
Duijzings, M., Todd, J., & Notebaert, L. (2024) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2024.104607 · Cited by 1
1 Cognitieve verwerking en psychopathologie: theorie en onderzoek
Raes, F., Kindt, M., & Arntz, A. R. (2011) · Bohn Stafleu van Loghum eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-90-313-8310-8_1 · Cited by 1
Interpretation Biases in Anxiety – A Three-Level Meta-AnalysisPreprint
Würtz, F., Kunna, M., Lindgraf, C., Abado, E., Amanvermez, Y., Blackwell, S. E., Margraf, J., Everaert, J., & Woud, M. L. (2023) · PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/7zkvr · Cited by 1
Dalrymple-Alford, S. (2011) · doi:10.26686/wgtn.17000353
“…experimental studies that used procedures to modify interpretation bias, which have shown that reducing interpretation bias reduces anxious responding (e.g. Salemink et al., 2009), whereas training children to display this bias may increase anxious responding (e.g. avoidance; Muris et al., 2009a).”
BackgroundLodge, J. (2013) · UEA Digital Repository (University of East Anglia)
Cognitive bias modification in the prevention of adolescent social anxiety
de Hullu, E., Sportel, E. T., de Jong, P. J., & Nauta, M. H. (2012) · F1000Research · doi:10.7490/f1000research.1090569.1
White, L. K. (2013) · University Libraries (University of Maryland)
Serious gaming: Een bestaande behandeling in een modern jasje
de Jong, S., van der Krieke, L., Malda, A., & Boonstra, N. (2013) · Psychopraktijk · doi:10.1007/s13170-013-0043-6
Affect dynamics : a focus on genes, stress, and an opportunity for change
Menne‐Lothmann, C. (2015) · Research Publications (Maastricht University) · doi:10.26481/dis.20150129cm
The effects of stress, threat/challenge appraisal, and coping flexibility on emotion
Chen, L. (2017) · DR-NTU (Nanyang Technological University) · doi:10.32657/10356/69618
Interpretive bias in anxiety: the search for an elusive cognitive effect
Fung, P. S. (2009) · UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA)
Digital antianxiety treatment and cognitive performance: An experimental study
Cavatorta, E., Grassi, S., & Lambiris, M. J. (2020) · European Economic Review · doi:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2020.103636
Experimentele studie naar de causale relatie tussen emotioneel redeneren en angst
Timmermans, M. M. D. (2011) · Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University)
Training the Interpretation of Ambiguity
Clifton, J. (2015) · Open Access Victoria University of Wellington | Te Herenga Waka (Figshare) · doi:10.26686/wgtn.17013605.v1
MacDonald, E. M. (2021) · doi:10.32920/ryerson.14656167 · Cited by 1
Training the Interpretation of Ambiguity
Clifton, J. (2015) · Open Access Victoria University of Wellington | Te Herenga Waka (Figshare) · doi:10.26686/wgtn.17013605
Shifting threat criterion for morphed facial expressions reduces negative affect
O'Brien, S. L. B., Christensen, B. K., & Goodhew, S. C. (2022) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2022.104067
Cognitive Biases in Clinical Population
(2018) · Advances in psychology, mental health, and behavioral studies (APMHBS) book series · doi:10.4018/978-1-5225-2978-1.ch006
Cognitieve verwerking en psychopathologie: theorie en onderzoek
Salemink, E., Kindt, M., & Raes, F. (2019) · Bohn Stafleu van Loghum eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-90-368-2021-9_1
Self-citationDetecting and Avoiding Cognitive Biases
(2018) · Advances in psychology, mental health, and behavioral studies (APMHBS) book series · doi:10.4018/978-1-5225-2978-1.ch009
Cludius, B., Hummel, J., Limburg, K., Woud, M. L., & Takano, K. (2023) · Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2022.101811
Frommelt, T., Traykova, M., Platt, B., & Wittekind, C. E. (2023) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.23983332
Frommelt, T., Traykova, M., Platt, B., & Wittekind, C. E. (2023) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.23983317
Frommelt, T., Traykova, M., Platt, B., & Wittekind, C. E. (2023) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.23983320
Frommelt, T., Traykova, M., Platt, B., & Wittekind, C. E. (2023) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.23983329
Frommelt, T., Traykova, M., Platt, B., & Wittekind, C. E. (2023) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.23983323
Frommelt, T., Traykova, M., Platt, B., & Wittekind, C. E. (2023) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.23983326
Vrinzen, S., Everaert, J., & Salemink, E. (2026) · Behavior Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.beth.2026.01.004
Self-citationBridgman, K., & Erickson, S. (2026) · Speech Language and Hearing · doi:10.1080/2050571x.2026.2658548
Vulnerability to depression and cognitive bias modification
Chan, S. W. Y. (2012) · UEA Digital Repository (University of East Anglia)
Metadata
- Authors
- Salemink, E., van den Hout, M., & Kindt, M.
- Affiliations
- Utrecht University (NL)
- University of Amsterdam (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Salemink, Elske
- Venue
- Journal of Anxiety Disorders
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2009-06
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 676-683
- ISSN
- 0887-6185 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2169905320
- Cited by
- 143
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 15.21
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Anxiety Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (publishedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Assessments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Keywords
- cognitive bias modification, interpretation bias, trait anxiety, state anxiety, online intervention, psychopathology, social anxiety, stress vulnerability, threat interpretation
- MeSH terms
- Affect, Anxiety Disorders, Attitude, Cognition, Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted, Female, Humans, Male, Phobic Disorders, Surveys and Questionnaires, Reaction Time, Severity of Illness Index, Software, Bias, Young Adult
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review