title: Attention bias modification training under working memory load increases the magnitude of change in attentional bias.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Attention bias modification (ABM) procedures have shown promise as a therapeutic intervention, however current ABM procedures have proven inconsistent in their ability to reliably achieve the requisite change in attentional bias needed to produce emotional benefits. This highlights the need to better understand the precise task conditions that facilitate the intended change in attention bias in order to realise the therapeutic potential of ABM procedures. Based on the observation that change in attentional bias occurs largely outside conscious awareness, the aim of the current study was to determine if an ABM procedure delivered under conditions likely to preclude explicit awareness of the experimental contingency, via the addition of a working memory load, would contribute to greater change in attentional bias.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bias change was assessed among 122 participants in response to one of four ABM tasks given by the two experimental factors of ABM training procedure delivered either with or without working memory load, and training direction of either attend-negative or avoid-negative.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Findings revealed that avoid-negative ABM procedure under working memory load resulted in significantly greater reductions in attentional bias compared to the equivalent no-load condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current findings will require replication with clinical samples to determine the utility of the current task for achieving emotional benefits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These present findings are consistent with the position that the addition of a working memory load may facilitate change in attentional bias in response to an ABM training procedure.
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Advancement of Research on Emotion, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Australia; School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Australia. Electronic address: patrick.clarke@curtin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Patrick J F
authors.initials: PJF
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Advancement of Research on Emotion, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Sonya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Branson
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Advancement of Research on Emotion, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Nigel T M
authors.initials: NTM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Addiction, Development, and Psychopathology Lab (Adapt Lab), Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Van Bockstaele
authors.affiliation: Addiction, Development, and Psychopathology Lab (Adapt Lab), Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Elske
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salemink
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Advancement of Research on Emotion, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Australia; School of Psychology, Babes-Bolyai University, Romania.
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: MacLeod
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Advancement of Research on Emotion, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Lies
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Notebaert
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D000070379:Attentional Bias / Q000502:physiology*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: ABM; Anxiety; Anxiety disorders; Attention bias modification; Attentional bias; CBM; Cognitive bias modification; Cognitive load; Selective attention; Working memory load