Context matters: The role of subjective arousal during Attentional Bias Modification targeting socially anxious students

Background and objectives: Attentional Bias Modification (ABM) paradigms targeting anxiety aim to reduce attentional biases for threatening stimuli and thereby reduce anxiety. Based on cognitive theories of performance and learning, elevated levels of arousal during ABM might enhance its effectiveness by making training more engaging and activating fear schemas. This study investigated whether elevated levels of arousal during ABM would increase its effectiveness in reducing attentional bias, stress reactivity, and post-event processing.

Method: We randomly assigned 79 high socially anxious students to a session of ABM or control training preceded by either a social stress or control induction to manipulate arousal. Training outcomes were attentional bias, stress reactivity, and post-event processing. Subjective arousal was assessed before, during, and after training.

Results: Results indicated that ABM was not successful in reducing attentional bias, stress reactivity or post-event processing, and that the effects of ABM were not moderated by subjective arousal. There was a trend towards ABM being more effective than control training in reducing attentional bias directly after training when participants were more aroused. However, this effect was not maintained one day after the training.

Limitations: The arousal manipulation did not result in significant between-group differences in subjective arousal. Conclusions: This study did not provide support for the moderating role of arousal in ABM training effects. Replications with more effective mood induction procedures and more power are needed as a trend finding was observed suggesting that higher levels of arousal improved the direct ABM effects on attentional bias.