The attentional bias modification approach to anxiety intervention
Abstract
Anxiety vulnerability and dysfunction are characterized by an attentional bias to threat. Cognitive training procedures designed to modify selective attentional responding to threat originally were developed to test the hypothesis that this attentional bias causally contributes to anxious disposition. The capacity of attentional bias modification (ABM) training to alleviate dysfunctional anxiety has since attracted growing interest, and the present article reviews studies that have evaluated this therapeutic potential. When intended ABM training has successfully reduced attention to threat, it also has reduced anxiety vulnerability and symptomatology with a high degree of reliability. When the delivery of intended ABM training has not resulted in such anxiety reduction, this typically has reflected the failure to successfully modify attentional selectivity as required. We discuss ways in which ABM training procedures may be refined to optimize their capacity to reduce attentional bias to threat, to improve delivery of the resulting anxiolytic benefits.
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Poor outcomes of conventional ABM may be explained by deficient training procedures, such as failure to modify the target process of reducing pre-existing AB in orienting towards threat.
“Poor outcomes may be explained by deficient training procedures: if ABM threat-avoidance training fails to modify its target process (i.e., reduce pre-existing AB in orienting towards threat), this could explain its failure to reduce anxiety [5,8,16,17].”
From Anxiety and Threat-Related Attention: Cognitive-Motivational Framework and Treatment (2018) · cites this paper as [5]
Attention maintenance on threat and poor threat-distractor inhibition may exacerbate anxiety-related thoughts and worries.
“Attention maintenance on threat and poor threat-distractor inhibition may exacerbate anxiety-related thoughts and worries.”
From Anxiety and Threat-Related Attention: Cognitive-Motivational Framework and Treatment (2018) · cites this paper as [5]
Threat-avoidant orienting may reduce immediate distress, but be maladaptive in the long term by impairing reason-based appraisal of feared stimuli, thereby impeding habituation and fear reduction.
“Threat-avoidant orienting may reduce immediate distress, but be maladaptive in the long term by impairing reason-based appraisal of feared stimuli, thereby impeding habituation and fear reduction.”
From Anxiety and Threat-Related Attention: Cognitive-Motivational Framework and Treatment (2018) · cites this paper as [5]
Automatic orienting to threat may increase detection of threat cues and awareness of potential danger, thereby enhancing anxious mood.
“automatic orienting to threat may increase detection of threat cues in the environment and awareness of potential danger, thereby enhancing anxious mood.”
From Anxiety and Threat-Related Attention: Cognitive-Motivational Framework and Treatment (2018) · cites this paper as [5]
The co-occurrence of reductions in anxiety and AB measures during ABM training is compatible with a causal role of AB in anxiety.
“Several studies have found that reductions in anxiety and AB measures co-occurred during ABM training, which is compatible with a causal role of AB in anxiety [5,8,17].”
From Anxiety and Threat-Related Attention: Cognitive-Motivational Framework and Treatment (2018) · cites this paper as [5]
Several studies have found that reductions in anxiety and AB measures co-occurred during ABM training.
“Several studies have found that reductions in anxiety and AB measures co-occurred during ABM training, which is compatible with a causal role of AB in anxiety [5,8,17].”
From Anxiety and Threat-Related Attention: Cognitive-Motivational Framework and Treatment (2018) · cites this paper as [5]
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References 77 · Cited by 315
- Authors
- MacLeod, C., & Clarke, P. J. F.
- Affiliations
- The University of Western Australia (AU)
- Venue
- Clinical Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2015-01
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 58-78
- ISSN
- 2167-7026 (ISSN-L)
- 2167-7034
- OpenAlex
- W2070297495
- Cited by
- 315
- References
- 77
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 65 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 36 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 17
- FWCI
- 58.85
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Clinical Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion)
- eSpace (Curtin University) (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 › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Keywords
- attentional bias modification, anxiety, attentional bias to threat, selective attention, cognitive training, anxiety vulnerability, anxiolytic effects
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