The Plasticity of Adolescent Cognitions: Data from a Novel Cognitive Bias Modification Training Task

Abstract

Many adult anxiety problems emerge in adolescence. Investigating how adolescent anxiety arises and abates is critical for understanding and preventing adult psychiatric problems. Drawing threat interpretations from ambiguous material is linked to adolescent anxiety but little research has clarified the causal nature of this relationship. Work in adults using Cognitive Bias Modification of Interpretations (CBM-I) training show that manipulating negative interpretational style alters negative affect. Conversely, 'boosting' positive interpretations improves affect. Here, we extend CBM-I investigations to adolescents. Thirty-nine adolescents (13-18 years), varying in trait anxiety and selfefficacy, were randomly allocated to receive positive or negative training. Training-congruent differences emerged for subsequent interpretation style. Induced negative biases predicted a decline in positive affect in low self-efficacious adolescents only. Tentatively, our data suggest that cognitive biases predict adolescent affective symptoms in vulnerable individuals. The acquisition of positive cognitions through training has implications for prevention.

Cognitive Bias Modification Training in Adolescents: Persistence of Training Effects

“…Results from the Interpretation Bias Test suggest that biases congruent with positive training material were applied to novel ambiguous social scenarios, relative to neutral control training. Post-hoc comparisons replicated previous adolescent findings that negative targets were endorsed less strongly as interpretations of novel ambiguous situations following positive training (Fu et al, 2012;Lau et al, 2011;Lester et al, 2011aLester et al, , 2011bLothmann et al, 2011;Salemink & Wiers, 2011). This contributes to a body of work suggesting that positive CBM-I training may be effective in suppressing maladaptive negative patterns of social cognitive bias.…”

“…To decompose this interaction, two separate 2 × 2 × 2 ANOVAs were conducted, one comparing neutral control training to the Same-Session positive CBM-I paradigm, and one comparing the Same-Session and 24-Hour positive CBM-I groups. These distinctions were made along the lines of our a priori research questions-namely following the interactions between probe type, probe valence and training group in Lothmann et al (2011) and Lau et al (2011). A third 2 × 2 × 2 ANOVA comparing the neutral control group to the 24-Hour positive training group was then conducted to verify any differences seen between neutral and positive training in the preceding analyses.…”

“…Previous research has shown the clearest effects of CBM-I on state mood to be seen on anxiety measures (e.g. Lau et al, 2011;Lothmann et al, 2011;Vassilopoulos et al, 2009), but state measures of low mood and positive affect will also be included in the current study as secondary analyses.…”

Modifying Adolescent Interpretation Biases Through Cognitive Training: Effects on Negative Affect and Stress Appraisals

“…This work, while generating much excitement, has only recently been extended to children [9–14] and adolescents [15–17]. Although at present little is known about how interpretational biases to threatening information develop [18], these biases appear susceptible to experimental modification in children as young as 6 years old [12].…”

“…Drawing on CBM-I training methods used in adults [24, 25], we and others have tried to experimentally manipulate adolescent interpretational styles using computerized paradigms to assess their effects on changes in various mood-states including anxiety, low mood, negative affect (a combination of the two) and positive affect [15–17]. As with the original adult studies, adolescent participants were given short emotional but age-appropriate ambiguous scenarios to read.…”