Fewer intrusions after an attentional bias modification training for perceptual reminders of analogue trauma

Abstract

The present experimental analogue study used computerised attention training to investigate the role of attention bias in the prediction of intrusive memories. After exposure to a trauma film, participants in a training group (n=22) were presented with a variant of the exogenic cueing task (ECT) in which visual film reminders (i.e., stills from the trauma film) were always presented during invalid and neutral control stimuli always during valid trials. The purpose of this cue–location contingency was reinforcing the direction of attention away from film reminders. Control participants (n=23) performed a similar training without such a contingency. Post-training processing bias was assessed with a single target Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) task, in which trauma-film reminders served as task-irrelevant distracters appearing shortly before a neutral target. The frequency of film-related intrusions was recorded in a take-home diary and at a follow-up session three days after film viewing. Participants who underwent attention training reported fewer film-related intrusions and showed less interference by visual film distracters than controls. Implications for research on attention bias after real-life trauma are discussed.

Keywords:

• Attention training
• Attentional bias
• Trauma film
• RSVP
• Intrusive memories

Notes

¹For the mediational analyses, we first transformed the three intrusion indices into standard z-scores and calculated their sum. This overall intrusion score was used as dependent variable. Mediation effects were tested for both the AB index for reaction times and the AB index for errors. None of these effects approached significance.