One small step towards the spider, but a giant leap in anxiety: Biased attentional responding to spider stimuli causally contributes to the rate of growth in state anxiety during spider approach

Figures & data

Table 1. Mean and standard deviation (in parentheses) of Attentional Preference for Spiders Images Index scores, obtained from the attentional assessment trials when delivered before, and after, the attentional training trials

Training condition	Attentional assessment point
	Pre‐training assessment	Post‐training assessment
Attend spider training	−107.61 (456.47)	234.22 (453.44)
Avoid spider training	78.67 (420.84)	−19.95 (265.25)

short-legendFigure 1.

Table 2. Mean and standard deviation (in parentheses) of behavioural approach expectation scores, and behavioural approach scores, respectively, obtained from the Self‐reported Expectancy Assessment Task, and the in vivo Exposure Task, when delivered before, and after, the attentional training procedure

Training condition	Assessment point
	Pre‐training assessment	Post‐training assessment
Self‐reported Expectancy Assessment Task
Attend spider training	12.85 (.49)	12.75 (.44)
Avoid spider training	12.85 (.67)	12.90 (.45)
In vivo Exposure Task
Attend spider training	12.80 (.41)	12.85 (.37)
Avoid spider training	12.87 (.91)	12.90 (.31)

Table 3. Mean and standard deviation (in parentheses) of expected anxiety mood scores obtained from Self‐reported Expectancy Assessment Task, when delivered before, and after, the attentional training procedure.

Training condition	Step taken towards spider
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
Pre‐training assessment
Attend spider training	0.50 (2.24)	0.50 (2.24)	1.00 (3.08)	1.00 (3.08)	2.00 (4.10)	3.50 (6.71)	4.50 (7.59)	5.50 (9.45)	7.50 (11.64)	12.00 (14.36)	15.50 (17.91)	23.50 (22.31)	43.00 (32.46)
Avoid spider training	2.00 (4.10)	2.50 (4.44)	3.00 (5.71)	3.50 (5.87)	4.00 (5.98)	5.50 (8.87)	6.50 (10.40)	8.50 (13.48)	11.00 (18.32)	15.50 (21.88)	19.00 (23.37)	23.00 (24.73)	34.50 (26.65)
Post‐training assessment
Attend spider training	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0.50 (2.24)	2.00 (5.23)	2.00 (5.23)	3.50 (8.13)	5.50 (10.50)	7.00 (11.29)	12.00 (17.95)	16.50 (23.90)	19.50 (26.45)	34.21 (35.80)
Avoid spider training	1.50 (3.66)	1.50 (3.66)	1.50 (3.66)	2.00 (4.10)	2.50 (5.50)	3.00 (5.71)	3.50 (5.87)	5.00 (8.89)	6.50 (10.89)	10.00 (14.51)	14.00 (18.47)	17.00 (22.50)	26.50 (29.78)

Table 4. Mean and standard deviation (in parentheses) of anxiety mood scores obtained from the in vivo exposure task, when delivered before, and after, the attentional training procedure

Training condition	Step taken towards spider
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
Pre‐training assessment
Attend spider training	0.50 (2.24)	0.50 (2.24)	1.50 (3.66)	3.00 (6.57)	4.50 (8.87)	6.50 (13.09)	9.00 (15.53)	10.50 (17.31)	14.00 (20.10)	20.50 (24.17)	26.00 (25.63)	30.50 (26.25)	35.00 (29.21)
Avoid spider training	1.5 (3.66)	1.50 (3.66)	2.00 (4.10)	4.00 (6.81)	5.50 (8.87)	6.50 (11.37)	11.50 (16.94)	14.50 (20.89)	17.50 (23.59)	16.32 (21.14)	20.53 (26.77)	25.79 (28.74)	31.67 (30.73)
Post‐training assessment
Attend spider training	0 (0)	0 (0)	0.50 (2.24)	0.50 (2.24)	1.50 (4.89)	2.50 (7.16)	3.00 (7.33)	5.00 (12.35)	8.00 (15.08)	11.00 (19.97)	15.00 (22.36)	24.50 (31.03)	30.59 (32.88)
Avoid spider training	1.50 (3.66)	1.50 (3.66)	1.50 (3.66)	1.50 (3.66)	1.50 (3.66)	2.00 (5.23)	3.00 (7.33)	4.00 (8.21)	6.50 (11.37)	8.00 (13.99)	11.50 (17.55)	15.00 (21.15)	16.11 (20.33)

short-legendFigure 2.