Attentional Bias Modification and the neurocognitive processing of negative emotional faces in social-anxious individuals

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Roman Osinsky
• Subject Area: Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology ; General, Cognitive and Mathematical Psychology
• Term: from 2014 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 252143833

An early and automatic attentional bias for negative emotional stimuli probably plays a causal role in the development and maintenance of high dispositional anxiety. In 2002, Colin MacLeod and colleagues developed a computerized training procedure to reduce such biases. In this so-called Attentional Bias Modification (ABM) negative stimuli (e.g., angry faces) and neutral target stimuli never occur at the same spatial location on computer screen. Due to this spatial contingency participants should learn to attentionally avoid negative stimuli. Early studies on this ABM approach have reported remarkable effects on attentional biases as well as anxiety symptoms. In the present project, we investigate the neurocognitive mechanisms of ABM and further develop this approach. To this end, we record electroencephalography and analyze electrocortical correlates of spatial attention. In the first funding-period we used a longitudinal design to investigate whether and how the attentional bias for angry faces can be manipulated by classic ABM Training in a sample of social anxious individuals. Replicating numerous previous studies, we observed a so-called N2pc component as an electrocortical correlate of biased attention toward angry faces across all participants. Importantly, the ABM training did not lead to a specific reduction in the N2pc indexed bias. Our results add to a more recent literature according to which the effects of standard ABM are rather weak or even insignificant. We therefore aim to further modify the ABM approach in the second funding-period by combining it with a principle of reinforced attention. This intention is based on several recent studies showing that the N2pc and its underlying neurocognitive mechanism are sensitive to the reward value of certain stimuli. Therefore, we are planning to reduce the attentional bias for angry faces by using monetary reinforcements during a multi-session ABM training program. This study can make an important contribution to further developing the general ABM approach, thereby also helping to increase its value as a potential therapeutic tool.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Netherlands
• Cooperation Partners: Professor Dr. Johannes Hewig; Professor Dr. Paul Pauli; Professor Dr. Matthias J. Wieser