Top

Gepubliceerd in:

06-08-2024 | Original Article

Eye-Tracking Based Visual Search Training in Social Anxiety: Effects on Attentional Bias, Attentional Control, Gaze Behavior, and Anxious Responses to a Speech Task

Auteurs: Ting-Xun Li, Chi-Wen Liang

Gepubliceerd in: Cognitive Therapy and Research | Uitgave 1/2025

Abstract

Background

Attentional bias modification (ABM) is a computerized treatment for anxiety. Most ABMs using a dot-probe task aim to direct anxious individuals’ attention away from threats. Recently, a new ABM approach using a visual search task (i.e., ABM-positive-search) has been developed to facilitate the allocation of attention toward positive stimuli. This study examined the efficacies of two versions of ABM-positive-search in socially anxious individuals.

Methods

Eighty-six participants were randomly assigned to the search positive in threat (SP-T; n = 28), search positive in neutral (SP-N; n = 29), or control training (CT) (n = 29) group. All participants completed four training sessions within two weeks. Attentional bias, attentional control, self-report social anxiety, and anxiety responses (i.e., subjective anxiety, psychophysiological reactivity, and gaze behavior) to the speech task were assessed pre-training and post-training.

Results

Results showed that ABM-positive-search trainings facilitated disengagement from threats compared to CT. Regardless of group, participants exhibited a reduction in attention allocation to negative feedback during speech. However, only SP-N increased attention allocation to positive feedback. Participants in three groups showed a decrease in subjective anxiety but no changes in psychophysiological reactivity to speech challenge from pre-training to post-training. ABM-positive-search trainings had no beneficial effects on attentional control or self-report social anxiety when compared with CT.

Conclusions

The findings do not support the efficacy of ABM-positive-search trainings for social anxiety.

vorige artikel Modulating the Value of Positive Feedback Does Not Influence Expectation Change in Major depression – What Can be Learned from a Failed Replication?

volgende artikel The Contributions of Attentional Bias and Expectancy Bias to Fluctuations in State Anxiety

As reducing social anxiety and emotional distress was the main purpose of ABM-positive-search training, we further conducted a Bayesian analysis to examine the strength of evidence favoring the null hypothesis with regard to self-reported scales. Difference scores (post- minus pre-training) were calculated for each scale. We then performed Bayesian one-way ANOVAs in JASP to assess the effect of group (SP-T, SP-N, and CT) on the difference scores. Bayesian factors for the null versus alternative hypothesis (BF₀₁) revealed anecdotal to moderate evidence (BF₀₁ = 1 to 3 indicates anecdotal evidence, BF₀₁ = 3 to 10 indicates moderate evidence, and BF01 = 10 to 30 indicates strong evidence) in favor of the null hypothesis (SIAS: BF₀₁ = 2.84, SPS: BF₀₁ = 3.62, STAI-T: BF₀₁ = 9.64, BF₀₁ = 5.27).

Alpers, G. W., Adolph, D., & Pauli, P. (2011). Emotional scenes and facial expressions elicit different psychophysiological responses. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 80(3), 173–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2011.01.010CrossRefPubMed

American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

Amir, N., Beard, C., Taylor, C. T., Klumpp, H., Elias, J., Burns, M., & Chen, X. (2009). Attention training in individuals with generalized social phobia: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 77(5), 961–973. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016685CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Bantin, T., Stevens, S., Gerlach, A. L., & Hermann, C. (2016). What does the facial dot-probe task tell us about attentional processes in social anxiety? A systematic review. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 50, 40–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2015.04.009CrossRefPubMed

Bar-Haim, Y. (2010). Research Review: Attention bias modification (ABM): A novel treatment for anxiety disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 51(8), 859–870. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02251.xCrossRefPubMed

Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., & Brown, G. K. (1996). Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Psychological Corporation.

Carlbring, P., Apelstrand, M., Sehlin, H., Amir, N., Rousseau, A., Hofmann, S. G., & Andersson, G. (2012). Internet-delivered attention bias modification training in individuals with social anxiety disorder - a double blind randomized controlled trial. Bmc Psychiatry, 12(1), 66. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244x-12-66CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Carleton, R. N., Collimore, K. C., Asmundson, G. J. G., McCabe, R. E., Rowa, K., & Antony, M. M. (2009). Refining and validating the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and the Social Phobia Scale. Depression and Anxiety, 26(2), E71–E81. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.20480CrossRefPubMed

Chen, N. T. M., Clarke, P. J. F., Watson, T. L., MacLeod, C., & Guastella, A. J. (2015). Attentional bias modification facilitates attentional control mechanisms: Evidence from eye tracking. Biological Psychology, 104, 139–146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2014.12.002CrossRefPubMed

Christopoulos, G. I., Uy, M. A., & Yap, W. J. (2016). The body and the brain: Measuring skin conductance responses to understand the emotional experience. Organizational Research Methods, 22(1), 394–420. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428116681073CrossRef

Clark, D. M., & Wells, A. (1995). A cognitive model of social phobia. Social phobia: Diagnosis, assessment, and treatment (pp. 69–93). The Guilford Press.

Clauss, K., Gorday, J. Y., & Bardeen, J. R. (2022). Eye tracking evidence of threat-related attentional bias in anxiety- and fear-related disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 93, 102142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102142CrossRefPubMed

Dandeneau, S. D., Baldwin, M. W., Baccus, J. R., Sakellaropoulo, M., & Pruessner, J. C. (2007). Cutting stress off at the pass: Reducing vigilance and responsiveness to social threat by manipulating attention. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93(4), 651–666. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.93.4.651CrossRefPubMed

De Lissnyder, E., Derakshan, N., De Raedt, R., & Koster, E. H. W. (2011). Depressive symptoms and cognitive control in a mixed antisaccade task: Specific effects of depressive rumination. Cognition and Emotion, 25(5), 886–897. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2010.514711CrossRefPubMed

De Voogd, E. L., Wiers, R. W., Prins, P. J. M., & Salemink, E. (2014). Visual search attentional bias modification reduced social phobia in adolescents. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 45(2), 252–259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2013.11.006CrossRefPubMed

De Voogd, E. L., Wiers, R. W., & Salemink, E. (2017). Online visual search attentional bias modification for adolescents with heightened anxiety and depressive symptoms: A randomized controlled trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 92, 57–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2017.02.006CrossRefPubMed

Derakshan, N., Ansari, T. L., Hansard, M., Shoker, L., & Eysenck, M. W. (2009). Anxiety, inhibition, efficiency, and effectiveness. An investigation using antisaccade task. Experimental Psychology, 56(1), 48–55. https://doi.org/10.1027/1618-3169.56.1.48CrossRefPubMed

Derryberry, D., & Reed, M. A. (2002). Anxiety-related attentional biases and their regulation by attentional control. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 111, 225–236. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.111.2.225CrossRefPubMed

Dixon, M. L., Thiruchselvam, R., Todd, R., & Christoff, K. (2017). Emotion and the prefrontal cortex: An integrative review. Psychological Bulletin, 143(10), 1033–1081. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000096CrossRefPubMed

Eysenck, M. W., Derakshan, N., Santos, R., & Calvo, M. G. (2007). Anxiety and cognitive performance: Attentional control theory. Emotion, 7(2), 336–353. https://doi.org/10.1037/1528-3542.7.2.336CrossRefPubMed

Godijn, R., & Kramer, A. F. (2007). Antisaccade costs with static and dynamic targets. Perception & Psychophysics, 69(5), 802–815. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193780CrossRef

Hakamata, Y., Lissek, S., Bar-Haim, Y., Britton, J. C., Fox, N. A., Leibenluft, E., Ernst, M., & Pine, D. S. (2010). Attention bias modification treatment: A meta-analysis toward the establishment of novel treatment for anxiety. Biological Psychiatry, 68(11), 982–990. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.07.021CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Heeren, A., Reese, H. E., McNally, R. J., & Philippot, P. (2012). Attention training toward and away from threat in social phobia: Effects on subjective, behavioral, and physiological measures of anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 50(1), 30–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2011.10.005CrossRefPubMed

Heeren, A., Mogoaşe, C., McNally, R. J., Schmitz, A., & Philippot, P. (2015). Does attention bias modification improve attentional control? A double-blind randomized experiment with individuals with social anxiety disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 29, 35–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.10.007CrossRefPubMed

Heeren, A., Mogoașe, C., Philippot, P., & McNally, R. J. (2015b). Attention bias modification for social anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 40, 76–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2015.06.001CrossRefPubMed

Heimberg, R. G., Mueller, G. P., Holt, C. S., Hope, D. A., & Liebowitz, M. R. (1992). Assessment of anxiety in social interaction and being observed by others: The social interaction anxiety scale and the Social Phobia Scale. Behavior Therapy, 23(1), 53–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0005-7894(05)80308-9CrossRef

Julian, K., Beard, C., Schmidt, N. B., Powers, M. B., & Smits, J. A. J. (2012). Attention training to reduce attention bias and social stressor reactivity: An attempt to replicate and extend previous findings. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 50(5), 350–358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2012.02.015CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Kelly, L. C., Maratos, F. A., Lipka, S., & Croker, S. (2016). Attentional bias towards threatening and neutral facial expressions in high trait anxious children. Journal of Experimental Psychopathology, 7(3), 343–359. https://doi.org/10.5127/jep.052915CrossRef

Kredlow, M. A., Fenster, R. J., Laurent, E. S., Ressler, K. J., & Phelps, E. A. (2022). Prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and threat processing: Implications for PTSD. Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 47(1), 247–259. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-021-01155-7CrossRef

Krukow, P., Plechawska-Wojcik, M., & Podkowinski, A. (2021). Manipulations of the response-stimulus intervals as a factor inducing controlled amount of reaction time intra-individual variability. Brain Sciences, 11(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11050669

Li, S., Tan, J., Qian, M., & Liu, X. (2008). Continual training of attentional bias in social anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 46(8), 905–912. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2008.04.005CrossRefPubMed

Liang, C. W. (2018). Attentional control deficits in social anxiety: Investigating inhibition and shifting functions using a mixed antisaccade paradigm. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 60, 46–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2018.03.004CrossRefPubMed

Liang, C. W., & Hsu, W. Y. (2016). Effects of attention bias modification with short and long stimulus-duration: A randomized experiment with individuals with subclinical social anxiety. Psychiatry Research, 240, 80–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2016.04.019CrossRefPubMed

Liu, H., Li, X., Han, B., & Liu, X. (2017). Effects of cognitive bias modification on social anxiety: A meta-analysis. Plos One, 12(4), e0175107. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0175107CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

MacLeod, C., & Mathews, A. (2012). Cognitive bias modification approaches to anxiety. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 8(1), 189–217. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032511-143052CrossRefPubMed

MacLeod, C., Rutherford, E., Campbell, L., Ebsworthy, G., & Holker, L. (2002). Selective attention and emotional vulnerability: Assessing the causal basis of their association through the experimental manipulation of attentional bias. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 111(1), 107–123. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.111.1.107CrossRefPubMed

Mattick, R. P., & Clarke, J. C. (1998). Development and validation of measures of social phobia scrutiny fear and social interaction anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36(4), 455–470. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(97)10031-6CrossRefPubMed

McNally, R. J., Enock, P. M., Tsai, C., & Tousian, M. (2013). Attention bias modification for reducing speech anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 51(12), 882–888. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2013.10.001CrossRefPubMed

Mogg, K., & Bradley, B. P. (1998). A cognitive-motivational analysis of anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36(9), 809–848. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(98)00063-1CrossRefPubMed

Mogg, K., & Bradley, B. P. (2016). Anxiety and attention to threat: Cognitive mechanisms and treatment with attention bias modification. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 87, 76–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2016.08.001CrossRefPubMed

Mogg, K., & Bradley, B. P. (2018). Anxiety and threat-related attention: Cognitive-motivational framework and treatment. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 22(3), 225–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2018.01.001CrossRefPubMed

Olfson, M., Guardino, M., Struening, E., Schneier, F. R., Hellman, F., & Klein, D. F. (2000). Barriers to the treatment of social anxiety. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 157(4), 521–527. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.157.4.521CrossRefPubMed

Price, R. B., Kuckertz, J. M., Amir, N., Bar-Haim, Y., Carlbring, P., & Wallace, M. L. (2017). Less is more: Patient-level meta-analysis reveals paradoxical dose-response effects of a computer-based social anxiety intervention targeting attentional bias. Depression and Anxiety, 34(12), 1106–1115. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22634CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Rapee, R. M., & Heimberg, R. G. (1997). A cognitive-behavioral model of anxiety in social phobia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35(8), 741–756. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(97)00022-3CrossRefPubMed

Richards, H. J., Benson, V., Donnelly, N., & Hadwin, J. A. (2014). Exploring the function of selective attention and hypervigilance for threat in anxiety. Clinical Psychology Review, 34(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2013.10.006CrossRefPubMed

Sanchez, A., Vazquez, C., Marker, C., LeMoult, J., & Joormann, J. (2013). Attentional disengagement predicts stress recovery in depression: An eye-tracking study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 122(2), 303–313. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031529CrossRefPubMed

Schmidt, N. B., Richey, J. A., Buckner, J. D., & Timpano, K. R. (2009). Attention training for generalized social anxiety disorder. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 118(1), 5–14. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013643CrossRefPubMed

Shyi, G. C. W., Huang, T. S. T., & Yeh, C. Y. (2013). Taiwan corpora of Chinese emotions and relevant psychophysiological data-a college-student database of facial expression for basic emotions. Chinese Journal of Psychology, 55(4), 455–475. https://doi.org/10.6129/cjp.20121226CrossRef

Spielberger, C. D., Sydeman, S. J., Owen, A. E., & Marsh, B. J. (1999). Measuring anxiety and anger with the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) and the state-trait anger expression inventory (STAXI). The use of psychological testing for treatment planning and outcomes assessment (pp. 993–1021). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Staugaard, S. R. (2009). Reliability of two versions of the dot-probe task using photographic faces. Psychology Science, 51(3), 339–350.

Waechter, S., Nelson, A. L., Wright, C., Hyatt, A., & Oakman, J. (2014). Measuring attentional bias to threat: Reliability of dot probe and eye movement indices. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 38(3), 313–333. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-013-9588-2CrossRef

Waters, A. M., Pittaway, M., Mogg, K., Bradley, B. P., & Pine, D. S. (2013). Attention training towards positive stimuli in clinically anxious children. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 4, 77–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2012.09.004CrossRefPubMed

Waters, A. M., Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J., Craske, M. G., Pine, D. S., Bradley, B. P., & Mogg, K. (2015). Look for good and never give up: A novel attention training treatment for childhood anxiety disorders. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 73, 111–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2015.08.005CrossRefPubMed

Waters, A. M., Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J., Craske, M. G., Pine, D. S., Bradley, B. P., & Mogg, K. (2016). A preliminary evaluation of a home-based, computer-delivered attention training treatment for anxious children living in regional communities. Journal of Experimental Psychopathology, 7(3), 511–527. https://doi.org/10.5127/jep.053315CrossRef

Woolridge, S. M., Harrison, G. W., Best, M. W., & Bowie, C. R. (2021). Attention bias modification in depression: A randomized trial using a novel, reward-based, eye-tracking approach. Journal of Behavioral Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 71, 101621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2020.101621CrossRef

Yap, D., Denefrio, S., & Dennis-Tiwary, T. A. (2021). Low working memory load facilitates attention bias modification training. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 139, 103828. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2021.103828CrossRefPubMed

Titel: Eye-Tracking Based Visual Search Training in Social Anxiety: Effects on Attentional Bias, Attentional Control, Gaze Behavior, and Anxious Responses to a Speech Task
Auteurs: Ting-Xun Li
Chi-Wen Liang
Publicatiedatum: 06-08-2024
Uitgeverij: Springer US
Gepubliceerd in: Cognitive Therapy and Research / Uitgave 1/2025
Print ISSN: 0147-5916
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-2819
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-024-10522-9

Andere artikelen Uitgave 1/2025

Mindfulness for Reducing Everyday Suicidal Thoughts (Mind-REST): A Daily Mindfulness Intervention for Adults with Suicidal Ideation

Original Article

Associations Between Interpersonal Trauma and Intolerance of Uncertainty in an International Multi-Site Sample

Open Access
Original Article

A Smart Solution? Efficacy of a Self-Management Smartphone App for Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia

Original Article

Stressful Life Events and Depression in Adolescents from Low-Income Neighborhoods: An Investigation of the Role of Working Memory Capacity and Distress Intolerance

Original Article

From Information to Worry: How Selective Interrogation of Information Shapes Expectancies in the Prenatal Period

Brief Report

“I Changed After the Death”: Symptoms of Psychopathology Predict Lower Agency and Communion Themes in Loss Narratives Over 16 Months

Open Access
Original Article

Bohn Stafleu van Loghum

Welkom bij Scalda & Bohn Stafleu van Loghum

Registreer

Login

Eye-Tracking Based Visual Search Training in Social Anxiety: Effects on Attentional Bias, Attentional Control, Gaze Behavior, and Anxious Responses to a Speech Task

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Andere artikelen Uitgave 1/2025

Mindfulness for Reducing Everyday Suicidal Thoughts (Mind-REST): A Daily Mindfulness Intervention for Adults with Suicidal Ideation

Associations Between Interpersonal Trauma and Intolerance of Uncertainty in an International Multi-Site Sample

A Smart Solution? Efficacy of a Self-Management Smartphone App for Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia

Stressful Life Events and Depression in Adolescents from Low-Income Neighborhoods: An Investigation of the Role of Working Memory Capacity and Distress Intolerance

From Information to Worry: How Selective Interrogation of Information Shapes Expectancies in the Prenatal Period

“I Changed After the Death”: Symptoms of Psychopathology Predict Lower Agency and Communion Themes in Loss Narratives Over 16 Months

Bohn Stafleu van Loghum

Welkom bij Scalda & Bohn Stafleu van Loghum

Registreer

Login

Deel dit onderdeel of sectie (kopieer de link)

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Log in om toegang te krijgen

Mindfulness for Reducing Everyday Suicidal Thoughts (Mind-REST): A Daily Mindfulness Intervention for Adults with Suicidal Ideation

Associations Between Interpersonal Trauma and Intolerance of Uncertainty in an International Multi-Site Sample

A Smart Solution? Efficacy of a Self-Management Smartphone App for Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia

Stressful Life Events and Depression in Adolescents from Low-Income Neighborhoods: An Investigation of the Role of Working Memory Capacity and Distress Intolerance

From Information to Worry: How Selective Interrogation of Information Shapes Expectancies in the Prenatal Period

“I Changed After the Death”: Symptoms of Psychopathology Predict Lower Agency and Communion Themes in Loss Narratives Over 16 Months