Attention Bias Modification Treatment in Social Anxiety (ABMT)
Social Anxiety
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Social Anxiety focused on measuring attention bias, treatment predictors
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
1) highly socially anxious students (based on self-report questionnaire)
Exclusion Criteria:
- suicidal intent,
- substance abuse,
- primary diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder,
- or past schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, organic mental disorder,
- any concurrent psychotherapy,
- changes in medication during the 12 weeks prior to study and
- CBT therapy 6 months before the beginning of treatment.
Sites / Locations
- Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Arm 3
Experimental
Experimental
Placebo Comparator
Training away from threat
Training towards threat
Placebo
Experiment 1 and 2: In the intervention group -training away from threat-, in all angry-neutral faces presentation the probe is presented only after neutral face. Probe type (< or >) is not factorially counterbalanced but there is equal possibility of presentation for each of the following: angry-face location, probe location, or actor. Experiment 1: received 8 times (2 times per week for 4 weeks) Experiment 2: received 4 times (2 times for 2 weeks)
Only for Experiment 2: The second ABMT condition -training towards threat- is identical to the first one with the exception that in all angry-neutral face presentations the symbol is presented only after threat face. In addition, at the beginning of every session participants will be informed that a random number of participants will have to repeat their speech. They will also be informed that this instruction will be given right after the dot probe task completion. This will be done in order for the participants to maintain their state anxiety but repetition of the speech task will not actually happen at this stage. Experiment 2: received 4 times (2 times for 2 weeks)
Experiment 1 and 2: In the placebo group, angry-face location, probe location and actor are fully counterbalanced with regards to their presentation. Experiment 1: received 8 times (2 times per week for 4 weeks) Experiment 2: received 4 times (2 times for 2 weeks)