Lecture 5: Cognitive Bias Modification Flashcards
What are 3 cognitive biases toward addiction-related stimuli and what task are they assessed with
- attentional bias (engagement/disengagement); Implicit Association Test (IAT)
- approach-bias (action tendencies); approach-avoidance task (AAT)
- memory bias (retrieval; antecedents/effects); dot-probe task
What are the two systems of the dual process models
System 1: Impulsive - thinking fast —> unconscious, evolved early, non-verbal, domain specific, independent of working memory/IQ
System 2: Reflective - thinking slow —> conscious, evolved late, verbal, logical/abstract, related to working memory/IQ
What are the predictions for prospective drinking for associations and explicit expectancies
For associations, low working memory predicts alcohol use/problems
For explicit expectancies, high working memory predicts alcohol use/problems
T/F: WM can be trained in problem drinkers
Yes, but only in those individuals with strong positive associations with alcohol (IAT)
What are the 2 accounts of CBM
- Dual process account = biases are driven by (bottom-up) mental associations (instrumental) and their effect is moderated by (top-down) executive control processes
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Inferential account = CBM effectiveness depends on inferential processes
—> works not by replacing one association (alcohol approach) with a new association (alcohol avoidance) but through changes in propositional representations containing info on how concepts are causally related; invokes propositions about contingencies between stimuli (eg. alcohol), responses (eg. avoidance) and outcomes (eg. positive effects) that translate into behavior
What is the difference between proof of principle studies and RCTs in evidence for CBM
Proof of principle: CBM only has small, short-lived effects on drinking in student volunteers
RTCs: CBM hold promise as add on intervention to treatment of alcohol-dependent patients
Cognitive bias modification
= developed to change automatic cognitive biases —> change dominant associations underlying mental disorders
What are 3 ways to improve CBM
- Goal-relevant alternative behaviors; in alcohol there’s a universally relevant behavioral choice (alcohol vs. non-alcohol), but this doesn’t exist for many other substances (eg. smoking —> what is the alternative?); when alternatives were personalized, effectiveness increased
- Personally relevant consequences for behavioral choices; person should be able to experience the effectiveness of the alternative behavior to accomplish his/her goals
- Personally relevant antecedent context (A); incorporating real-life context cues (A; eg. in eating; fridge) in association with the behavioral choice (B) and the action consequences (C) might facilitate transfer to real-life —> ABC training
T/F: Poorly developed executive functions make one more vulnerable to appetitive impulses
True
T/F: it is possible to train heavy drinking students towards/away from alcohol
True, however there is no generalization towards new stimuli and it does not have an effect on behavior (also, this was a proof of principle study)
What are 6 ways in which we can improve cognitive training
- gamification (more playful, not necessarily better)
- more personalized alternative goals
- personalized learning parameters
- training based on more reliable assessment
- training after reactivation (disruption of memory reconsolidation)
- add neurostimulation
What does ABC-training add to CBM
Systematic and controllable personalized training rather than homework that people have difficulties with to complete
What are 3 factors that may increase effectiveness of ABC interventions
- motivating patients to improve training performance + attentional control
- presentation of large number of different stimuli to increase generalization
- performing multiple training sessions
What is the median number of AAT training sessions needed
6
