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Attention training towards positive stimuli in clinically anxious children

Attention training towards positive stimuli in clinically anxious children
Attention training towards positive stimuli in clinically anxious children
Attention bias modification training (ABMT) is a promising treatment.
Nevertheless, few studies examine its effectiveness in anxious children. This study examined the
efficacy of such an ABMT protocol in pediatric anxiety. Method: 37 anxious children were randomly
assigned to one of two ABMT conditions. In the attention-towards-positive (ATP) condition, children
searched 3 x 3 matrices for a happy face amongst angry faces. In the attention-training-control (ATC)
condition, they searched for a bird amongst flowers. Children completed 160 trials in each of four
training sessions per week for three weeks at home (1920 total trials). Clinical and attention bias
measures were assessed before and after ABMT. Results: Children randomized to ATP showed greater
post-training attention bias towards happy faces than children randomized to ATC. ATP also produced
significantly greater reductions in clinician-rated diagnostic severity and number of diagnoses,
compared to ATC. In the ATP group, 50% of children who completed training did not meet criteria for
their principal diagnosis, compared to 8% in the ATC group. Conclusion: Training anxious children to
focus attention on positive features of their environment may be a promising treatment.
1878-9293
77-84
Waters, Allison
083cf272-3361-4905-ad7c-6ac868d5717a
Pittaway, Michelle
cdcb3847-bd8e-44f6-8c6f-50ab05ae4808
Mogg, Karin
5f1474af-85f5-4fd3-8eb6-0371be848e30
Bradley, Brendan P.
bdacaa6c-528b-4086-9448-27ebfe463514
Pine, Daniel S.
debffc1c-1efc-4bcf-81b3-87aadee1047d
Waters, Allison
083cf272-3361-4905-ad7c-6ac868d5717a
Pittaway, Michelle
cdcb3847-bd8e-44f6-8c6f-50ab05ae4808
Mogg, Karin
5f1474af-85f5-4fd3-8eb6-0371be848e30
Bradley, Brendan P.
bdacaa6c-528b-4086-9448-27ebfe463514
Pine, Daniel S.
debffc1c-1efc-4bcf-81b3-87aadee1047d

Waters, Allison, Pittaway, Michelle, Mogg, Karin, Bradley, Brendan P. and Pine, Daniel S. (2013) Attention training towards positive stimuli in clinically anxious children. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 4, 77-84. (doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2012.09.004).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Attention bias modification training (ABMT) is a promising treatment.
Nevertheless, few studies examine its effectiveness in anxious children. This study examined the
efficacy of such an ABMT protocol in pediatric anxiety. Method: 37 anxious children were randomly
assigned to one of two ABMT conditions. In the attention-towards-positive (ATP) condition, children
searched 3 x 3 matrices for a happy face amongst angry faces. In the attention-training-control (ATC)
condition, they searched for a bird amongst flowers. Children completed 160 trials in each of four
training sessions per week for three weeks at home (1920 total trials). Clinical and attention bias
measures were assessed before and after ABMT. Results: Children randomized to ATP showed greater
post-training attention bias towards happy faces than children randomized to ATC. ATP also produced
significantly greater reductions in clinician-rated diagnostic severity and number of diagnoses,
compared to ATC. In the ATP group, 50% of children who completed training did not meet criteria for
their principal diagnosis, compared to 8% in the ATC group. Conclusion: Training anxious children to
focus attention on positive features of their environment may be a promising treatment.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 12 September 2012
Published date: April 2013
Organisations: Clinical Neuroscience

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 342692
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/342692
ISSN: 1878-9293
PURE UUID: 912d2a16-75e4-4bc1-b717-a641e9fe0aab
ORCID for Brendan P. Bradley: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-2801-4271

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Date deposited: 12 Sep 2012 15:57
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:08

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Contributors

Author: Allison Waters
Author: Michelle Pittaway
Author: Karin Mogg
Author: Daniel S. Pine

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