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Online Intervention Reduces Hostile Attribution Bias, Anger, Aggressive Driving, and Cyber-Aggression, Results of Two Randomized Trials

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Abstract

Background

Anger and aggression often result from attributing hostile intent to the ambiguous actions of other people.

Methods

Two online double-blind parallel randomized pilot studies with healthy adult volunteers tested a novel online cognitive intervention called Hostile Bias Modification Training (HBMT). We hypothesized HBMT would reduce hostile attribution bias, anger, and aggression. In study one, 180 volunteers were randomized to one of three versions of HBMT (active, alternative, and placebo). In study two, 217 volunteers were randomized to either active or placebo HBMT and returned 24–96 h later to complete measures of hostile attribution bias, anger, and aggression.

Results

In study one, volunteers who completed active HBMT (vs. placebo) subsequently interpreted hypothetical vignettes as significantly less hostile (d = 0.64, p = .006) and reported significantly less imagined anger (d = 0.51, p = .006) and aggression (d = 0.73, p < .001). In study two, active HBMT (vs. placebo) was associated with reduced hostile attribution bias (\({\upeta }_{p}^{2}\) = .089, p < .001), less aggressive driving (\({\upeta }_{p}^{2}\) = .039, p = .027), and lower likelihood of cyber-aggression (OR 0.56, p = .004) 24–96 h after intervention.

Conclusions

These results suggest HBMT may be an easily implemented intervention to improve anger-related outcomes. No harms to volunteers were observed. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04015440 on July 11 2019.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due protections of participant confidentiality but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request, pending approval from applicable ethics review board.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of Mr. Jeffrey Hoye, sponsored under an ARL Cooperative Agreement, who assisted in programming the experimental task and managing participants and data collection.

Funding

This research was funded in part by the United States Army Medical Research and Development Command, Military Operational Medicine Research Program, and the United States Army Futures Command, Combat Capabilities Development Command, Army Research Laboratory.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD, 20910-7500, USA

    Jeffrey M. Osgood & Phillip J. Quartana

  2. CCDC Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA

    Sue E. Kase & Erin G. Zaroukian

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  3. Erin G. Zaroukian
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  4. Phillip J. Quartana
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation and/or data collection were performed by all authors. Analyses were performed by JMO. The first draft of the manuscript was written by JMO and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jeffrey M. Osgood.

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Conflict of interest

Jeffrey M. Osgood, Sue E. Kase, Erin G. Zaroukian and Phillip J. Quartana declares no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

Research was approved by the institution’s Human Subjects Protection Office and Institutional Review Board.

Animal Rights

No animal studies were carried out by the authors for this article.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. Participants provided informed consent for publication of aggregated research findings. The investigators have adhered to the policies for protection of human subjects as prescribed in U.S. Army Regulation 70–25.

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Material has been reviewed by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. There is no objection to its presentation and/or publication. The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the author, and are not to be construed as official, or as reflecting true views of the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense.

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Osgood, J.M., Kase, S.E., Zaroukian, E.G. et al. Online Intervention Reduces Hostile Attribution Bias, Anger, Aggressive Driving, and Cyber-Aggression, Results of Two Randomized Trials. Cogn Ther Res 45, 310–321 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-020-10147-8

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