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Open Access 01-04-2019 | Original Article

Reducing Aggressive Children’s Hostile Attributions: A Cognitive Bias Modification Procedure

Authors: Wieteke Hiemstra, Bram Orobio De Castro, Sander Thomaes

Published in: Cognitive Therapy and Research | Issue 2/2019

Abstract

Children with aggression problems tend to interpret other’s intentions as hostile in ambiguous social situations. Among clinically referred children with aggressive behavior problems, this hostile attribution style may be relatively rigid and difficult to change, due to prevalent histories of aversive social experience and/or personal vulnerability. The present study examined the effectiveness of a cognitive bias modification (CBM) training to reduce hostile interpretations of facial expressions in clinically referred aggressive boys. We conducted two experiments: Both Study 1 (N = 59, Mage = 11.8) and Study 2 (N = 75, Mage = 11.5) showed that the training effectively reduced hostile interpretation of facial expressions. However, we found no generalization to relevant other outcomes, including state anger and aggression (assessed using a multi-method approach), and hostile attribution assessed in a game context. Taken together, this research illustrates the potential of employing the CBM procedure to reduce aggressive boys’ hostile attributions: The procedure is time and cost-efficient, and relatively easily implemented. Despite this potential, the context-dependency and generalization of effects should be better understood before the procedure can be taken to scale in clinical populations.

In the original Survivor game, feedback on participant profiles was manipulated to be positive, neutral or negative. Consistent with the present study purposes—to investigate interpretations of and reactions to ambiguous situations—we designed the feedback in this study to be ambiguous.

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Title: Reducing Aggressive Children’s Hostile Attributions: A Cognitive Bias Modification Procedure
Authors: Wieteke Hiemstra
Bram Orobio De Castro
Sander Thomaes
Publication date: 01-04-2019
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Cognitive Therapy and Research / Issue 2/2019
Print ISSN: 0147-5916
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2819
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-018-9958-x

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Reducing Aggressive Children’s Hostile Attributions: A Cognitive Bias Modification Procedure

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

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