Abstract

Depression has been associated with a negative attention bias. Attention bias modification (ABM) interventions among individuals with depression have demonstrated promising but inconsistent findings in reducing negative attention bias and decreasing depression symptoms. These inconsistent results may be partly due to impaired attention functioning that is common in depression. Mindfulness has demonstrated attention benefits, which may enhance the ability for individuals with depression to benefit from ABM interventions. This study aimed to explore the efficacy of a train-positive dot-probe task ABM intervention when compared to a placebo dot-probe task, both preceded by a series of brief mindfulness activities, among a sample of student participants with mild, moderate, moderate-severe, and severe self-reported depression symptoms (n = 51). Participants were randomly assigned to the train-positive (n = 28) or control (n = 23) ABM condition. It was hypothesized that after a short series of mindfulness activities, the train-positive ABM condition would report a larger depression symptom reduction, increased reaction times (RT) to positive stimuli, and larger event related potential (ERP) amplitudes following positive stimuli from pre- to post-training when compared to the control condition. Results partially supported hypotheses. Participants in the training condition self-reported a greater reduction in depression symptoms from pre- to post- training when compared to the control condition. However, hypotheses for RT and ERP data were not supported. Implications of results for attention bias research are discussed.

Date of publication

Summer 2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

english

Persistent identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10950/4769

Committee members

Sarah M. Sass, Ph.D., University of Texas at Tyler; Dennis Combs, Ph.D., University of Texas at Tyler; Michael Barnett, Ph.D.; University of Texas at Tyler

Degree

Clinical Psychology, Ph.D.

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