Citation

Van Bockstaele B, Verschuere B, De Houwer J, Crombez G. Behav. Res. Ther. 2010; 48(7): 692-697.

Affiliation

Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.brat.2010.04.001

PMID

20451175

Abstract

In attentional bias modification programs, individuals are trained to attend away from threat in order to reduce emotional reactivity to stressful situations. However, attending towards threat is considered to be a prerequisite for fear reduction in other models of anxiety. We compared both views by manipulating attention towards or away from an acquired signal of threat. The strength of extinction and reacquisition was assessed with threat and US-expectancy ratings. We found more extinction in the attend towards threat group, compared to both the attend away from threat group and a control group in which attention was not manipulated. The results are in line with the Emotional Processing Theory and cognitive accounts of classical conditioning.

Language: en