Module 4 Flashcards
Cognitive Bias Modification, ABC training (22 cards)
What is the associative account of CBM?
The idea that CBM targets distortions in cognitive biaes driven by associative representations and maintaining addictions.
What finding is an example of contra-evidence for the associative account of CBM?
Avoidance of addiction stimuli does not always translate to changes in addictive behavior. The effect depends on beliefs about awareness of the learned association and awareness of relevant contingencies.
What is the main premise of the inferential account of CBM?
CBM invokes propositions about contingencies between stimuli, responses and outcomes (e.g., avoidance of acohol leads to positive effects).
What does the inferential account of CBM propose?
Maladaptive behavior does not result from automatic activation of S-R associations, but from goal-driven inferences about the relevance of the behavior to people’s goals.
CBM knows three adaptations based on the inferential account. One of the is goal-relevant alternative behaviors. What is an example of this?
Training to choose a non-alcoholic drink instead of an alcoholic one.
Another adaptation of CBM focuses on personally relevant consequences. What does that entail?
Emphasizing the consequences of behavior (including positive ones) and drawing an association to the client’s personal goals. E.g., if the client cares about money, emphasize how much money they could save by quitting smoking.
What is the third adaptation of CBM?
Personally relevant antecedent context: including real-life relevant context cues to stimulate translation of CBM results to real life.
What does ABC Training stand for?
A - antecedent
B - behavioral choice
C - consequences
What is the goal of ABC training?
To automatize behavioral choices. After A and B, a an action must be chosen, which shoud optimally be a desirable alternative choice. Leading to C.
What are three main cognitive (information processing) biases towards addiction-related stimuli?
Attentional bias: engagement/disengagement
Approach bias: action-tendencies
Memory bias: retrieval
Dual-Process models propose the existence of two systems. Which one is a fast and unconscious?
System 1: the habit-based system; impulsive-reflexive.
What characterizes System 2?
It’s goal-directed, slow and conscious. It’s reflective-propositional.
What is the conflict proposed by dual-process models, regarding addiction?
System 1 is sensitized towards the drug stimuli and system 2 is unable to control it.
What are the two criticisms of dual process models?
The two systems are not insolatable.
1. Characteristics within a system do not correlate well.
2. Many processes involve characteristics from both systems.
Wiers et al., (2011) did a study involving alcholic patients and a joystick task. What were they researching and what were the findings?
Study aim: see whether retraining automatic tendencies can reduce approach bias towards alcohol cues. The approach-avoidance training led to a reduction in approach bias towards alcohol.
Schoenmakers et al., (2010) did a study involving abstinent alcoholics and attentional bias modification training (ABM). What were the findings?
Participants who underwent ABM training showed significant reduction in attentional bias towards alcohol-related stimuli.
What is the self-ordering pointing test (SOPT)?
It’s a measure for working memory, where people have to make image sequences witthout repeating themselves. Longer sequences = better WM.
What do SOPT and IAT research say about predicting alcohol use and alcohol problems?
SOPT and IAT research shows that implicit associations predict alcohol use and problems, but only in those with low WM (i.e. weaker cognitive control function).
Paradigms used to assess cognitive biases can be feature relevant or feature irrelevant. What does that mean?
They can either feature cues related to the substance or not.
What are two big differences between proof-of-principle studies and RCTs?
RCTs involve a clinical sample, a proof-of-principle study usually does not. In RCTs participants might be aware of the intervention, and in proof-of-principle studies they’re not.
What are the results of a meta-analysis considering both proof-of-principle studies and CRTs for CBM?
Clinical CRTs indicate that CBM is an effective add-on treatment; proof-of-principle studies find a reduced attentional bias in heavy drinkers post training, but this did not reduce actual drinking or generalize.
What can be concluded from the body of evidence about CBM?
CBM has a small, but positive and reliable effect for addiction. Good as an add-on, but not as standalone treatment.
