Abstract
Cognitive bias modification of interpretations (CBM-I) programs, in which individuals are trained to interpret ambiguous scenarios in a benign way, appear effective in altering anxiety-related cognitive biases in both children and adults. In this experimental study, we explored the effectiveness of a novel CBM-I training tool for children, which involves joint discussions of ambiguous information with a same-gender peer. 10- to 11-year-old boys and girls (n = 20) were provided with ambiguous social vignettes, each followed by two interpretations, and then asked to select one of them after a brief discussion with a same-gender peer. A further group of participants did not participate in any training but only completed pretraining and posttraining measures (n = 18). Results indicated that children who completed the interpretation training made less negative interpretations, endorsed less negative emotional consequences, reported less social anxiety, and performed better in a stressful task compared with the no-intervention group. Clinical implications of the results are briefly discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beard, C. (2011). Cognitive bias modification for anxiety: Current evidence and future directions. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 2, 299–311.
Beard, C., Weisberg, R. B., & Primack, J. (2012). Socially anxious primary care patients’ attitudes toward cognitive bias modification (CBM): A qualitative study. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 40, 618–633.
Cartwright-Hatton, S., Reynolds, S., & Wilson, C. (2011). Adult models of anxiety and their application to children and adolescents. In W. K. Silverman & A. P. Field (Eds.), Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents (pp. 129–158). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Clark, D. M., & Wells, A. (1995). A cognitive model of social phobia. In R. Heimberg, M. Liebowitz, D. A. Hope, & F. R. Schneier (Eds.), Social phobia: Diagnosis, assessment and treatment (pp. 69–93). New York: Guilford Press.
Cole, M., & Cole, S. R. (1996). The development of children. New York: Freeman.
Creswell, C., Murray, L., & Cooper, P. (2014). Interpretation and expectation in childhood anxiety disorders: Age effects and social specificity. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 42, 453–465.
Dandeneau, S. D., Baldwin, M. W., Baccus, J. R., Sakellaropoulo, M., & Pruessner, J. C. (2007). Cutting stress off at the pass: reducing vigilance and responsiveness to social threat by manipulating attention. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93, 651–666.
Field, A. P., & Lester, K. J. (2010). Learning of information processing biases in anxious children and adolescents. In J. A. Hadwin & A. P. Field (Eds.), Information processing biases and anxiety: A developmental perspective (pp. 253–279). Chichester: Wiley.
Freeman, K., Hadwin, J. A., & Halligan, S. L. (2011). An experimental investigation of peer influences on adolescent hostile attributions. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 40, 897–903.
Hofmann, S. G. (2007). Cognitive factors that maintain social anxiety disorder: A comprehensive model and its treatment implications. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 36, 193–209.
Hoppitt, L., Mathews, A., Yiend, J., & Mackintosh, B. (2010). Cognitive bias modification: The role of active training in modifying emotional responses. Behavior Therapy, 41, 73–81.
Kovacs, M. K. (1992). Children’s depression inventory-short form (CDI). New York: Multi-Health Systems Inc.
La Greca, A. M., & Stone, W. L. (1993). The social anxiety scale for children-revised: Factor structure and concurrent validity. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 22, 17–27.
Lau, J. Y. F., Belli, S. R., & Chopra, R. B. (2013a). Cognitive bias modification training in adolescents reduces anxiety to a psychological challenge. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 18, 322–333.
Lau, J. Y. F., Pettit, P., & Creswell, C. (2013b). Reducing children’s social anxiety symptoms: Exploring a novel parent-administered cognitive bias modification training intervention. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 51, 333–337.
Lester, K. J., Field, A., & Muris, P. (2011a). Experimental modification of interpretation bias about animal fear in young children: Effects on cognition, avoidance behavior, anxiety vulnerability, and physiological responding. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 40, 864–877.
Lester, K. J., Field, A., & Muris, P. (2011b). Experimental modification of interpretation bias regarding social and animal fear in children. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 25, 697–705.
Lester, K. J., Mathews, A., Davison, P. S., Burgess, J. L., & Yiend, J. (2011c). Modifying cognitive errors promotes cognitive well being: A new approach to bias modification. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 42, 298–308.
Mathews, A., Ridgeway, V., Cook, E., & Yiend, J. (2007). Inducing a benign interpretation bias reduces trait anxiety. Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 38, 225–236.
Miers, A. C., Blöte, A. W., de Rooij, M., Bokhorst, C. L., & Westenberg, P. M. (2013). Trajectories of social anxiety during adolescence and relations with cognition, social competence, and temperament. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 41, 97–110.
Muris, P., Huijding, J., Mayer, B., & Hameetman, M. (2008). A space odyssey: Experimental manipulation of threat perception and anxiety-related interpretation bias in children. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 39, 469–480.
Muris, P., Huijding, J., Mayer, B., Remmerswaal, D., & Vreden, S. (2009). Ground control to Major Tom: Experimental manipulation of anxiety-related interpretation bias by means of the “space odyssey” paradigm and effects on avoidance tendencies in children. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 23, 333–340.
Muris, P., & Rijkee, S. (2011). Facing the beast apart together: Fear in boys and girls after processing information about novel animals individually or in a duo. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 20, 554–559.
Rohrbacher, H., Blackwell, S. E., Holmes, E. A., & Reinecke, A. (2014). Optimizing the ingredients for imagery-based interpretation bias modification for depressed mood: Is elf-generation more active than imagination alone? Journal of Affective Disorders, 152–154, 212–218.
Vassilopoulos, S. P., & Banerjee, R. (2012). Social anxiety and content specificity of interpretation and judgmental bias in children. Infant and Child Development, 21, 298–309.
Vassilopoulos, S. P., Banerjee, R., & Prantzalou, C. (2009). Experimental modification of interpretation bias in socially anxious children: Changes in interpretation, anticipated interpersonal anxiety, and social anxiety symptoms. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 47, 1085–1089.
Vassilopoulos, S. P., Blackwell, S. E., Misailidi, P., Kyritsi, A., & Ayfanti, M. (2014). The differential effects of written and spoken presentation for the modification of interpretation and judgmental bias in children. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 42, 535–554.
Vassilopoulos, S. P., Blackwell, S. E., Moberly, N. J., & Karahaliou, E. (2012). Comparing imagery and verbal instructions for the experimental modification of interpretation and judgmental bias in children. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 43, 594–601.
Vassilopoulos, S. P., Moberly, N. J., & Zisimatou, G. (2013). Experimentally modifying interpretations for positive and negative social scenarios in children: A preliminary investigation. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 41, 103–116.
Webster-Stratton, C., & Reid, J. M. (2004). Strengthening social and emotional competence in young children-The foundation for early school readiness and success. Infants and Young Children, 17, 96–113.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vassilopoulos, S.P., Brouzos, A. Cognitive Bias Modification of Interpretations in Children: Processing Information About Ambiguous Social Events in a Duo. J Child Fam Stud 25, 299–307 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-015-0194-7
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-015-0194-7