Bias Toward Research Articles

Supplemental Material for Assessing Cocaine Motivational Value: Comparison of Brain Reactivity Bias Toward Cocaine Cues and Cocaine Demand

Supplemental Material for Assessing Cocaine Motivational Value: Comparison of Brain Reactivity Bias Toward Cocaine Cues and Cocaine Demand

The Impact of Implicit Bias on Black and Latinx Students.

The Impact of Implicit Bias on Black and Latinx Students.

Investigating Healthcare Provider Bias Toward Patients Who Use Drugs Using a Survey-based Implicit Association Test: Pilot Study.

Negative bias against people who use illicit drugs adversely affects the care that they receive throughout the hospital. We hypothesized that emergency providers would display stronger negative bias toward these patients due to life-threatening contexts in which they treat this population. We also hypothesized that negative implicit bias would be associated with negative explicit bias. Faculty, nurses, and trainees at a midwestern tertiary care academic hospital were invited (June 26, 2019-September 5, 2019) to complete an online implicit association test and explicit bias survey. Mean implicit association test results did not vary across demographics (n = 79). There were significant differences in explicit bias scores between departments regarding whether patients who use drugs deserve quality healthcare access (P = 0.017). We saw no significant associations between implicit and explicit bias scores. Though limited by sample size, the results indicate that emergency and obstetrics/gynecology providers display more negative explicit bias toward this patient population than other providers.

School Mental Health Professionals' Knowledge of Stereotypes and Implicit Bias Toward Black and Latinx Youths.

Clinician bias is a contributor to health care inequities, but research on racial-ethnic bias among mental health professionals, especially toward minoritized youths, is limited. This column describes two studies involving mental health clinicians in schools, where most youths access mental health services. Study 1 used a mixed-methods approach to identify stereotypes about Black and Latinx youths salient to clinicians (e.g., academic failure; anger and aggression). In study 2, the authors developed four Implicit Association Tests to assess clinicians' implicit prejudice and stereotyping of Black and Latinx youths and found pro-White and anti-Black/Latinx bias at levels similar to those of other health care providers and the general population.

Direct and Indirect Measures of Attention Indicating a Bias Toward Cues in Methamphetamine Users.

This study aims to investigate the attentional bias toward drug-related stimuli along with subjective craving after encountering such stimuli in methamphetamine users. Studies of cue reactivity have confirmed a bias in attention and gaze toward drug-related stimuli for most substances; however, methamphetamine drugs are less studied through a direct measure, such as eye tracking. A total of 30 male subjects in the case group (methamphetamine users) and 36 subjects in the control group (no prior drug use) participated in this study. The participant's eye movement data were collected while they were viewing pairs of drug-related and non-drug images in a dot-probe paradigm. Craving was assessed via a self-report questionnaire on a scale of 0 to 10 before and after the psychophysical task. The analysis of eye-movement data showed a meaningful gaze bias toward cue images (drug-related) in the case group. Additionally, the gaze duration on cue images was significantly higher in the case group, in contrast to the control group. The same effect was observed in analyzing the dot-probe task; that is, the mean reaction time to a probe that replaced a cue image was significantly lower. The mean of the first-fixation measure in the control group was not significantly higher than chance; however, the percentage of the first-fixation on cue images in the drug users was meaningfully biased. Reported craving was significantly greater after performing the task compared to before. Our results indicated an attentional bias toward drug-related cues in methamphetamine users as well as subjective craving after encountering such cues. The gaze duration on cue images was significantly higher in methamphetamine users.The mean reaction time to a probe that replaced a cue image was significantly lower in methamphetamine users compared to the control group.The mean of the first-fixation measure in the case group was significantly better than chance.Craving was reported to be significantly greater after performing the task. Substance users tend to focus on the stimuli associated with substances. This is known as attention bias. Attention bias leads to increased craving. Attention bias for various substances has been previously reported; however, methamphetamine attention bias has not been evaluated so far. In this study, we measured the attention bias toward stimuli related to methamphetamine in methamphetamine users and control subjects with direct (eye tracking) and indirect (dot probe paradigm) methods. In addition, we measured the number of cravings in the case group. Our results confirmed the bias in attention toward methamphetamine-related stimuli in the case group compared to the control group.

Education to Identify and Reduce Nurse Stigma and Bias Toward Pregnant Women With Substance Use Disorder

The incidence of substance use disorder (SUD) during pregnancy is a national crisis. Nurses who exhibit stigmatizing behavior and bias toward women with SUD contributes to poor maternal and neonatal outcomes. Women with SUD have reported that nurse interactions directly influence their demoralization, leading to internalization of stigma and contributing to mistrust in the nurse–patient relationship. During pregnancy, bias toward women with SUD increases, further isolating them and increasing their avoidance to seeking care.

Is There a Bias Toward Unvaccinated COVID-19 Patients?

Description With more than 22% of the United States still not vaccinated for COVID-19, we are trying to shed some light on whether there is any bias when treating unvaccinated COVID-19 patients. We highlight several reports where some individuals or organizations displayed possible bias, whether implicit or explicit. We examine the legal and ethical implications of these biases and offer a general overview of how to tackle them.

A Bias Toward Kindness Goals in Performance Feedback to Women (vs. Men).

While research has documented positivity biases in workplace feedback to women versus men, this phenomenon is not fully understood. We take a motivational perspective, theorizing that the gender stereotype of warmth shapes feedback givers' goals, amplifying the importance placed on kindness when giving critical feedback to a woman versus a man. We found support for this hypothesis in a survey of professionals giving real developmental feedback (Study 1, N = 4,842 raters evaluating N = 423 individuals) and five experiments with MBA students, lab participants, and managers (Studies 2-5, N = 1,589). Across studies, people prioritized the goal of kindness more when they gave, or anticipated giving, critical feedback to a woman versus a man. Studies 1, 3, and 5 suggest that this kindness bias relates to gendered positivity biases, and Studies 4a and 4b tested potential mechanisms and supported an indirect effect through warmth. We discuss implications for the study of motivation and workplace gender bias.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Over the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Reduced Attention Bias Toward Negative Facial Expression: A Pilot Study in Healthy Subjects.

Research in the cognitive neuroscience field has shown that individuals with a stronger attention bias for negative information had higher depression risk, which may be the underlying pathogenesis of depression. This dysfunction of affect-biased attention also represents a decline in emotion regulation ability. Clinical studies have suggested that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) treatment can improve the symptoms of depression, yet the neural mechanism behind this improvement is still veiled. This study aims to investigate the effects of tDCS on affect-biased attention. A sample of healthy participants received 20 min active (n = 22) or sham tDCS (n = 19) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) for 7 consecutive days. Electroencephalographic (EEG) signals were recorded while performing the rest task and emotional oddball task. The oddball task required response to pictures of the target (positive or negative) emotional facial stimuli and neglecting distracter (negative or positive) or standard (neutral) stimuli. Welch power spectrum estimation algorithm was applied to calculate frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) in the rest task, and the overlapping averaging method was used to extract event-related potentials (ERP) components in the oddball task. Compared to sham tDCS, active tDCS caused an obvious increment in FAA in connection with emotion regulation (p < 0.05). Also, participants in the active tDCS group show greater P3 amplitudes following positive targets (p < 0.05) and greater N2 amplitudes following negative distracters (p < 0.05), reflecting emotion-related attention biases. These results offer valuable insights into the relationship between affect-biased attention and the effects of tDCS, which may be of assistance in exploring the neuropathological mechanism of depression and anxiety and new treatment strategies for tDCS.

“Don’t Drink, Don’t Smoke, What Do You Do?”

“Don’t Drink, Don’t Smoke, What Do You Do?”

Native Appropriation in Sport: Cultivating Bias Toward American Indians

Native Appropriation in Sport: Cultivating Bias Toward American Indians

The Effectiveness of Mindfulness in Attention Bias Toward Food in Overweight Individuals

Background: The increased overweight and obesity levels have been a major concern in current situations. The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of a mindfulness intervention on the attentional bias toward food in overweight individuals. Methods: The statistical population in this study consisted of overweight individuals with Body Mass Index (BMI) higher than 25, referred to centers related to weight management in Mashhad. 36 samples were selected using convenience sampling based on inclusion-exclusion criteria and were placed in two experimental and control groups randomly. The method used in this study was a quasi-experimental study using a pretest-posttest design with the control group. The repeated measures were undertaken by SPSS Software Ver. 22 for attentional bias toward food. The test was done in three 7-week pre-intervention and post-intervention phases of mindfulness and follow-up for three months after the end of the intervention. Results: The results of data analysis showed a significant difference between the two groups in terms of the reaction time of participants to the food Emotional Stroop Test. Conclusion: This result showed the significant effect of a mindfulness intervention on the attentional bias toward food in overweight individuals.

The Relevance of Religion for Political Office: Voter Bias Toward Candidates from Different Religious Backgrounds

Over the last several decades, Gallup data shows an increased willingness among members of the public to support presidential candidates from a wide range of religious backgrounds, though a nontrivial proportion of the public is still unwilling to vote for an Atheist, Mormon, or Muslim. What underlies this opposition? We argue that voters evaluate candidates from religious out-groups more negatively on a wide range of dimensions considered desirable for political office, and that this bias should be more pronounced among the highly religious. We show support for these arguments using a survey experiment fielded with YouGov. Atheists and Muslim candidates were perceived more negatively on a large set of traits considered desirable for political office compared to candidates from religious in-groups, and Mormon candidates fall somewhere in between. The Atheist and Muslim candidates were also perceived as less competent on a diverse set of issues.

Formation Mechanism of Attentional Bias Toward Safety Based on the Stressor-Emotion Model: the Moderating Effect of Positive Followership Trait

Formation Mechanism of Attentional Bias Toward Safety Based on the Stressor-Emotion Model: the Moderating Effect of Positive Followership Trait

Evaluation of a Smartphone Application on the Reduction of Attentional Bias Toward Alcohol Among Students†.

ContextThe recent development of “serious games” has produced encouraging results in maintaining adherence to health-related interventions. In alcohol research, several studies have shown that computerized training on attentional bias decreases alcohol consumption bias among students. However, these highly controlled experimental situations, do not allow for direct large-scale dissemination. Our objective is to evaluate an attentional bias remediation program using a gamified smartphone training procedure.MethodsFifty students from Clermont-Ferrand University were invited to participate in the study. After a cognitive assessment in the laboratory, the smartphone application was installed on each Student’s smartphone. Participants were randomly assigned to either the alcohol attentional training group or the control group Each student had to complete the 2-min program at least once a day for 15 days. After 15 days, a new cognitive assessment of attention bias was conducted in the laboratory. Forty-seven students were included in the study.ResultsOur analyses did not show any effect of the cognitive remediation program on attentional bias reduction between the two group [F(1, 44) < 1, p = 0.87], attentional performance [F(1, 45) = 1.63, p = 0.20] or inhibitory abilities [F(1, 45) < 1, p = 0.73]. These results were confirmed by Bayesian analyses.DiscussionDespite the absence of group effects, both the alcohol and control (non-alcohol) version of this program appeared to reduce attentional bias and increase inhibition capacities in the subset of participants who had attentional bias for alcohol at baseline This pilot study identifies areas for improvement in smartphone applications for future developments. Attentional bias remediation programs remain an interesting way to explore.

Relationships Between Social Anxiety Symptoms, Attentional Bias Toward Emotional Faces, and Metacognitive Beliefs About Focused Attention

Relationships Between Social Anxiety Symptoms, Attentional Bias Toward Emotional Faces, and Metacognitive Beliefs About Focused Attention

Attentional Bias Toward Threat in Sexually Victimized Hispanic Women: A Dot Probe Study

ABSTRACT The current study examined attentional bias toward threat in Hispanic college women exposed to lifetime sexual victimization in childhood, adulthood, and both childhood and adulthood. Response latencies and attention bias scores were compared between victimized and non-victimized individuals. Participants were 20 women exposed to adulthood sexual victimization (AS group), 15 exposed to childhood sexual victimization (CS group), 8 exposed to both childhood and adulthood sexual assault (revictimization: RV group), and 20 not endorsing sexual victimization (NS group). They were asked to complete the dot-probe task. The CS group and RV group were combined to create the CS-RV group. Among the AS and CS-RV groups, response latencies were faster when attention was engaged to threat than when attention was engaged to non-threat. The NS group did not demonstrate such differences. When response latencies were compared among the three groups, the CS-RV group had slower response latencies than the NS group. The CS-RV and AS groups revealed similarly significantly elevated bias scores toward threat words than the NS group. Hispanic college women exposed to lifetime sexual victimization display elevated levels of attention bias compared to non-victimized women. Further, the current findings align with an integrative cognitive model for explaining maladaptive informational processing in trauma victims.

Linking Threat-Related Attentional Biases Toward Bicyclists to Driving Behavior

Linking Threat-Related Attentional Biases Toward Bicyclists to Driving Behavior

Evaluation of College Students’ Implicit Biases Toward Believability of Claims of Sexual Harassment Using the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP)

Evaluation of College Students’ Implicit Biases Toward Believability of Claims of Sexual Harassment Using the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP)

Ketamine and Attentional Bias Toward Emotional Faces: Dynamic Causal Modeling of Magnetoencephalographic Connectivity in Treatment-Resistant Depression.

The glutamatergic modulator ketamine rapidly reduces depressive symptoms in individuals with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (TRD) and bipolar disorder. While its underlying mechanism of antidepressant action is not fully understood, modulating glutamatergically-mediated connectivity appears to be a critical component moderating antidepressant response. This double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled study analyzed data from 19 drug-free individuals with TRD and 15 healthy volunteers who received a single intravenous infusion of ketamine hydrochloride (0.5 mg/kg) as well as an intravenous infusion of saline placebo. Magnetoencephalographic recordings were collected prior to the first infusion and 6–9 h after both drug and placebo infusions. During scanning, participants completed an attentional dot probe task that included emotional faces. Antidepressant response was measured across time points using the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Dynamic causal modeling (DCM) was used to measure changes in parameter estimates of connectivity via a biophysical model that included realistic local neuronal architecture and receptor channel signaling, modeling connectivity between the early visual cortex, fusiform cortex, amygdala, and inferior frontal gyrus. Clinically, ketamine administration significantly reduced depressive symptoms in TRD participants. Within the model, ketamine administration led to faster gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) transmission in the early visual cortex, faster NMDA transmission in the fusiform cortex, and slower NMDA transmission in the amygdala. Ketamine administration also led to direct and indirect changes in local inhibition in the early visual cortex and inferior frontal gyrus and to indirect increases in cortical excitability within the amygdala. Finally, reductions in depressive symptoms in TRD participants post-ketamine were associated with faster α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) transmission and increases in gain control of spiny stellate cells in the early visual cortex. These findings provide additional support for the GABA and NMDA inhibition and disinhibition hypotheses of depression and support the role of AMPA throughput in ketamine's antidepressant effects.Clinical Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00088699?term=NCT00088699&draw=2&rank=1, identifier NCT00088699.