- Title
- Cognitive bias modification of attention is less effective under working memory load
- Creator
- Booth, Robert W.; Mackintosh, Bundy; Mobini, Sirous; Oztop, Pinar; Nunn, Samantha
- Relation
- Cognitive Therapy and Research Vol. 38, Issue 6, p. 634-639
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10608-014-9628-6
- Publisher
- Springer New York
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2014
- Description
- Cognitive bias modification for attentional bias (CBM-A) attempts to alleviate anxiety by training an attentional bias away from threat. Several authors have argued that CBM-A in fact trains top-down, reactive counteraction of the tendency to orient towards threat. Imposing a working memory (WM) load during training should therefore limit its efficacy, since WM resources are required for goal-driven control of attention. Twenty-eight subclinical high-anxious participants completed two sessions of CBM-A or placebo training: one under a high WM load, and one under a low WM load. Attentional bias was assessed after each training. CBM-A produced an attentional bias away from threat under low load, but not under high load. These results suggest CBM-A trains top-down counteraction of orienting to threat. It also suggests the administration of CBM-A in the home environment may be affected by everyday worries and distractions.
- Subject
- cognitive bias modification; attentional bias; anxiety; working memory
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1304417
- Identifier
- uon:20846
- Identifier
- ISSN:0147-5916
- Language
- eng
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