Seeking neutral: A VR-based person-identity-matching task for attentional bias modification – A randomised controlled experiment

• Published in: Internet interventions : the application of information technology in mental and behavioural health 2020-09, Vol.21, p.100334-100334, Article 100334
• Main Authors: Ma, Lichen, Kruijt, Anne-Wil, Ek, Anna-Karin, Åbyhammar, Gustaf, Furmark, Tomas, Andersson, Gerhard, Carlbring, Per
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attentional bias; Attentional bias modification; Dot-probe; Full length; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Person-identity-matching; Psychology; psykologi; Social anxiety; Virtual reality
• ISSN: 2214-7829; 2214-7829
• DOI: 10.1016/j.invent.2020.100334

Attentional bias modification (ABM) aims to reduce anxiety by attenuating bias towards threatening information. The current study incorporated virtual reality (VR) technology and 3-dimensional stimuli with a person-identity-matching (PIM) task to evaluate the effects of a VR-based ABM training on attentional bias and anxiety symptoms. One hundred participants with elevated social anxiety were randomised to four training groups. Attentional bias was assessed at pre- and post-training, and anxiety symptoms were assessed at pre-training, post-training, 1-week follow-up, and 3-month follow-up. Change in anxiety did not correlate with change in bias (r = −0.08). A repeated-measures ANOVA showed no significant difference in bias from pre- to post-ABM, or between groups. For anxiety symptoms, a linear mixed-effects model analysis revealed a significant effect of time. Participants showed reduction in anxiety score at each successive assessment (p