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Does modified interpretation bias influence automatic avoidance behaviour?
Author(s) -
Lange WolfGero,
Salemink Elske,
Windey Ine,
Keijsers Ger P. J.,
Krans Julie,
Becker Eni S.,
Rinck Mike
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
applied cognitive psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.719
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1099-0720
pISSN - 0888-4080
DOI - 10.1002/acp.1679
Subject(s) - psychology , cognitive bias modification , crowds , cognitive bias , generalizability theory , social anxiety , attentional bias , cognition , cognitive psychology , anxiety , interpretation (philosophy) , task (project management) , response bias , social cognition , developmental psychology , social psychology , neuroscience , computer security , management , psychiatry , computer science , economics , programming language
Cognitive bias modification (CBM) studies suggest a causal role of interpretation biases in the aetiology and maintenance of Social Anxiety Disorder. However, it is unknown if the effects of induced biases transfer to behaviour. In two analogue studies, behavioural changes in response to aversive and positive stimuli were measured after the induction of positive and negative interpretation biases in ‘averagely anxious’ participants. Responses to emotional multi‐facial displays (‘crowds’) were measured using an indirect Approach–Avoidance Task (AAT). The crowds comprised different ratios of either neutral and angry faces or happy and angry faces. In Experiment 1, negatively trained participants (NETs) showed a faster avoidance response for the neutral–angry crowds when the number of angry pictures in the crowd increased. This response pattern resembles the one previously found in socially anxious individuals. Experiment 2 replicated the effect of the cognitive bias manipulation on conceptually comparable material, but did not show transfer to the behavioural task. These studies add to the body of knowledge regarding successful modification of interpretive bias and generalizability to a behavioural task. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.