Cognitive Bias Modification for the Induction of Negative Versus Benign Interpretations of the Self in Individuals with Elevated Social Anxiety: Effects on Self-related and Anxiety Outcomes

Abstract

Studies of cognitive bias modification for interpretations in the social anxiety literature typically examine the effects of inducing a benign interpretation of ambiguous social situations. This study modifies and extends cognitive bias modification procedures to specifically alter interpretations of the self (CBM-IS) associated with social anxiety disorder and examined the effects of negative CBM-IS versus benign CBM-IS. Participants with elevated social anxiety were randomly allocated to a negative or benign CBM-IS condition. After CBM-IS training, participants were assessed on induced interpretations of the self, completed a speech task, and rated their performance. Negative self-esteem and anxiety were assessed at baseline, post-training, and post-speech. As predicted, negative CBM-IS induced a negative interpretation of the self whereas benign CBM-IS induced a benign interpretation of the self. There were also three key differential effects: (a) a baseline to post-training increase in negative self-esteem following negative CBM-IS but not benign CBM-IS, although the negative self-esteem difference between conditions was no longer evident at post-speech, (b) a greater increase in anxiety from post-training to post-speech following negative CBM-IS relative to benign CBM-IS, and (c) more negative self-ratings of speech performance following negative CBM-IS relative to benign CBM-IS. These findings validate the new CBM-IS procedures, and highlight the potential of these procedures for testing models of social anxiety disorder and for therapeutic intervention to reduce social anxiety.