Efficacy of Attention Bias Modification vs. Placebo for Social Anxiety Disorder

This study examines whether a computerized attention-training intervention called attention bias modification (ABM) can reduce symptoms of social anxiety disorder (SAD) in adults, and whether symptom improvement is specifically related to changes in attentional processing or to nonspecific factors such as expectancy and placebo effects.

Social Anxiety Disorder is characterized by persistent fear of social situations and negative evaluation by others. Previous research suggests that individuals with SAD tend to direct their attention toward socially threatening information, such as angry facial expressions. ABM was developed to reduce these attentional biases by training individuals to shift attention away from threat-related stimuli. However, findings regarding the clinical efficacy of ABM have been mixed, and some studies suggest that symptom improvement may also result from placebo-related factors, including treatment expectancy and engagement with the intervention.

In this randomized controlled trial, 90 adults diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder will be assigned to one of three study conditions: (1) active dot-probe ABM training, (2) placebo computerized training, or (3) a wait-list control group. Participants in the active and placebo training groups will complete eight computerized training sessions over four weeks.

The study will assess changes in social anxiety symptoms before and after the intervention using clinical interviews, self-report questionnaires, and computerized attention tasks. In addition, the study will examine attention bias and attention bias variability (ABV), using both reaction-time-based and eye-tracking-based measures, to better understand changes in attentional processing over time. Treatment expectancy and perceived credibility of the intervention will also be evaluated.

The hypothesis is that participants receiving active ABM training and placebo training will show greater reductions in social anxiety symptoms compared to the wait-list control group, and that participants in the active condition will show greater reduction in symptoms than the placebo condition. The study further hypothesizes that only the active ABM condition will produce significant changes in attention bias and attentional bias variability. Overall, the study aims to clarify the specific and nonspecific mechanisms underlying symptom improvement following Attention Bias Modification interventions for Social Anxiety Disorder.