Abstract
Cognitive theories propose that aggression is associated with specific patterns of attention to social cues, and suggest that cognitive biases in attention and interpretation are interrelated, The current study tested whether these attention patterns can be altered using a single session of a novel gaze-contingent cognitive bias modification paradigm (CBM-A) and assessed the impact of this on interpretation bias, aggressive behavior and mood. University students (18–31 years) were randomly assigned to either a single session of positive training (n = 40) aimed at increasing attention to pro-social cues, or negative training (n = 40) aimed at increasing attention to negative cues. Results showed that the positive training indeed resulted in an increase in pro-social attention bias, while the negative training seemed not to have an effect on attention to negative cues. Both groups did not differ on their interpretations, mood levels, self-reported aggression and behavioral aggression. Findings suggest that this novel gaze-contingent CBM-A paradigm can indeed alter biased gaze processes, but may not impact interpretations, aggression and mood. The current study was conducted in a non-clinical sample, further research with a clinical aggressive sample, such as forensic patients is necessary to further explore these issues.
Highlights
The Social information processing (SIP) model (Crick and Dodge 1994) is an influential cognitive theory concerning the development of aggressive behavior
In order to ascertain the appropriateness of our AB measure, we correlated the attention bias scores (AB-pre and AB-post) with the concurrently assessed aggressionrelated measures (i.e., Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), Novaco Anger Scale (NAS), Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ), Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP) and visual analogue scale (VAS) state anger)
The current study examined whether a novel gaze-contingent cognitive bias modification of attention (CBM-A) procedure-designed to modify attention bias using pictorial
Summary
The Social information processing (SIP) model (Crick and Dodge 1994) is an influential cognitive theory concerning the development of aggressive behavior. The traditional hypothesis of the SIP model suggests that aggressive individuals tend to show heightened attention for hostile versus non-hostile social cues, increasing the likelihood of a hostile interpretation of the situation, increasing the chances of aggression (Crick and Dodge 1994). In support of this hypothesis a number of studies found that individuals who score high on
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