Gone in sixty (milli)seconds: Disentangling the effects of location context on attention bias

Abstract

Attention bias is associated with a broad range of emotional disorders. Because of its transportability, attention bias modification (ABM) training can be administered outside of the laboratory; however, some evidence suggests that ABM training may be less effective when conducted in the individual's natural environment. The aim of this study was to examine factors that might account for the attenuated effects of attentional bias (AB) when assessed remotely. One hundred fifty‐eight undergraduate psychology students completed the Emotional Stroop Task on two occasions – once in the laboratory and once remotely. To help disentangle the influences of emotional state and location on attention bias, participants were randomized to view either an emotionally provocative clip or an emotionally neutral clip prior to completing the emotional Stroop task. Results showed evidence of an attentional bias only in the laboratory, among participants in the neutral emotion condition (b = –19.67, P = .008, 95% CI [–34.18, –5.15]). Exploratory analyses revealed that emotion provocation was associated with attentional bias among individuals with greater symptoms of depression, but only remotely (b = –15.70, P = 0.046, 95% CI [–31.15, –0.25]). These findings suggest that caution should be used when conducting attention bias research remotely. Limitations and future directions are discussed.