Special Issue Article

Does modified interpretation bias influence automatic avoidance behaviour?

  1. Wolf-Gero Lange1,*,
  2. Elske Salemink2,†,
  3. Ine Windey3,
  4. Ger P. J. Keijsers1,
  5. Julie Krans1,
  6. Eni S. Becker1 and
  7. Mike Rinck1

Article first published online: 18 MAR 2010

DOI: 10.1002/acp.1679

Issue

Applied Cognitive Psychology

Applied Cognitive Psychology

Special Issue: Current Directions at the Juncture of Clinical and Cognitive Science

Volume 24, Issue 3, pages 326–337, April 2010


Additional Information

How to Cite

Lange, W.-G., Salemink, E., Windey, I., Keijsers, G. P. J., Krans, J., Becker, E. S. and Rinck, M. (2010), Does modified interpretation bias influence automatic avoidance behaviour?. Appl. Cognit. Psychol., 24: 326–337. doi: 10.1002/acp.1679

Author Information

  1. 1

    Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

  2. 2

    University of Utrecht, The Netherlands

  3. 3

    University of Leuven, Belgium

  1. †

    Now at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

*Department of Clinical Psychology, Radboud University of Nijmegen, PO Box 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 18 MAR 2010
  2. Article first published online: 18 MAR 2010

Funded by

  • NWO (Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research)
  • BSI (Behavioural Science Institute)

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Abstract

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.

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