Trained interpretive bias: Validity and effects on anxiety
Abstract
Mathews and Mackintosh [(2000). Induced emotional interpretation bias and anxiety. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109, 602-615] developed a clever training procedure that enables the investigation of a causal relationship between interpretive bias and anxiety. The present study examined the validity of this paradigm by testing (1) the effects of interpretation training on two other tasks (homograph EAST and open-ended questionnaire) that are less closely related to the interpretation training itself as in previous studies and (2) the robustness of the training effects on state and trait anxiety. Results indicated that while the two original dependent measures (i.e., a reaction time and recognition measure) showed that the training procedure was successful in changing interpretations, the two additional measures (i.e., EAST and questionnaire) did not. This might reflect a measurement artefact, but other explanations for the findings are also possible. Moreover, evidence was found for effects of biased interpretations on anxiety. This demonstrates the viability of the present paradigm, which has implications for clinical practice.
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Previous research has shown that, while the endorsement of positive versus negative interpretation style after training showed significant training effects with the AS-paradigm, other interpretation bias assessment tools did not.
“previous research has shown that, while the endorsement of positive versus negative interpretation style after training showed significant training effects with the AS-paradigm, other interpretation bias assessment tools did not [53]”
From How to boost positive interpretations? A Meta-Analysis of the effectiveness of cognitive bias modification for interpretation (2014) · cites this paper as [53]
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- Authors
- Salemink, E., van den Hout, M., & Kindt, M.
- Affiliations
- Utrecht University (NL)
- University of Amsterdam (NL)
- Venue
- Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2007-06
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 212-224
- ISSN
- 0005-7916 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2107495886
- Cited by
- 87
- References
- 14
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 8.38
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry (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
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- interpretation bias, interpretation training, anxiety, state anxiety, trait anxiety, measurement validity, recognition memory, cognitive bias modification
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Anxiety, Association Learning, Attention, Automatism, Awareness, Female, Humans, Individuality, Internal-External Control, Male, Reaction Time, Reading, Semantics, Set, Psychology
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