A multi-session interpretation modification program: Changes in interpretation and social anxiety symptoms

Previous research suggests that socially anxious individuals interpret ambiguous social information in a more threatening manner compared to non-anxious individuals. Recently, studies have experimentally modified interpretation and shown that this subsequently affected anxiety in non-anxious individ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behaviour research and therapy Vol. 46; no. 10; pp. 1135 - 1141
Main Authors: Beard, Courtney, Amir, Nader
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2008
Elsevier Science
Elsevier Science Ltd
Subjects:
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Ambiguity
Anxiety
Anxiety - psychology
Anxiety disorders
Anxiety disorders. Neuroses
Behavior modification
Behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy
Bias
Biological and medical sciences
Computer Simulation
Computerization
Feedback
Female
Humans
Information processing
Interpersonal Relations
Interpretation
Male
Medical sciences
Modification
Negative feedback
Paranoid Behavior - psychology
Phobia
Phobic Disorders - psychology
Psychological Tests
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Self Concept
Social anxiety
Social Behavior
Social learning
Social Perception
Studies
Threats
Training
Treatment
Treatments
Young Adult
Training
Treatment
Interpretation
Social anxiety
Information processing
Human
Symptomatology
Cognitive therapy
Social phobia
Anxiety disorder
Cognition
Cognitive bias
ISSN:0005-7967, 1873-622X, 1873-622X
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Previous research suggests that socially anxious individuals interpret ambiguous social information in a more threatening manner compared to non-anxious individuals. Recently, studies have experimentally modified interpretation and shown that this subsequently affected anxiety in non-anxious individuals. If similar procedures can modify interpretation biases in socially anxious individuals, they may lead to a reduction in social anxiety symptoms. In the current study, we examined the effect of a computerized Interpretation Modification Program (IMP) on interpretation bias and social anxiety symptoms. Twenty-seven socially anxious individuals were randomly assigned to the IMP or a control condition. Participants completed eight computer sessions over four weeks. The IMP modified interpretation by providing positive feedback when participants made benign interpretations and negative feedback in response to threat interpretations. The IMP successfully decreased threat interpretations, increased benign interpretations, and decreased social anxiety symptoms compared to the control condition. Moreover, changes in benign interpretation mediated IMP's effect on social anxiety. This initial trial suggests that interpretation modification may have clinical utility when applied as a multi-session intervention.
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Present address: Department of Psychology, San Diego, CA 92120, United States
ISSN:0005-7967
1873-622X
1873-622X
DOI:10.1016/j.brat.2008.05.012