Attentional bias modification with a new paradigm: The effect of the Detection Engagement and Savoring Positivity (DESP) task on eye-tracking of attention
Résumé
Background and Objectives: We test the effect of a new attentional bias modification (ABM)
task - the Detection Engagement and Savoring Positivity (DESP) task - on attentional biases.
The DESP is innovative in that it involves a procedure of savoring the positivity of various
pictures.
Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to the DESP or to a placebo control condition
(experiment 1; n = 38) or a condition controlling for savoring (experiment 2; n = 54) in a prepost/training experimental design. During one week, the participants completed the DESP or
the control task once a day between three and six times. We assessed the effects of the DESP
task on various attentional biases (i.e. positive, negative and threat) by computing dwell time
from an eye-tracking technology before and after the training, and also one week after the
post-training session in experiment 2.
Results: In both experiments, the attentional bias toward positive stimuli between the pre- and
the post-training increased significantly more in the DESP task condition than in the control
conditions. Negative and threat attentional biases were not significantly affected by the
experimental manipulations. Experiment 2 revealed that the DESP task – including the
savoring instruction - increased significantly more the positive attentional bias than a task
excluding this step and that this effect remained significant one week after the post-training
session.
Limitations: Our samples were mainly composed of women participants. This prevents
generalization of the findings.
Conclusions: The DESP task offers promising perspectives for sustainably improving
attention to positive information.
Domaines
Psychologie
Origine : Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s)
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