scholarly journals Attention Bias Toward Threat in Pediatric Anxiety Disorders

2008 ◽  
Vol 47 (10) ◽  
pp. 1189-1196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Krain Roy ◽  
Roma A. Vasa ◽  
Maggie Bruck ◽  
Karin Mogg ◽  
Brendan P. Bradley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Attention Bias ◽  
Pediatric Anxiety ◽  
Pediatric Anxiety Disorders

A Critical Review of Attentional Threat Bias and Its Role in the Treatment of Pediatric Anxiety Disorders

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 171-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Krain Roy ◽  
Tracy A. Dennis ◽  
Carrie Masia Warner
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Attention Bias ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Threat Bias ◽  
Attention Bias Modification ◽  
Developmental Context ◽  
Pediatric Anxiety ◽  
Pediatric Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Bias Modification ◽  
Made In

Threat bias, or exaggerated selective attention to threat, is considered a key neurocognitive factor in the etiology and maintenance of pediatric anxiety disorders. However, upon closer examination of the literature, there is greater heterogeneity in threat-related attentional biases than typically acknowledged. This is likely impacting progress that can be made in terms of interventions focused on modifying this bias and reducing anxiety, namely attention bias modification training. We suggest that the field may need to “take a step back” from developing interventions and focus research efforts on improving the methodology of studying attention bias itself, particularly in a developmental context. We summarize a neurocognitive model that addresses the issue of heterogeneity by broadly incorporating biases toward and away from threat, linking this variation to key neurodevelopmental factors, and providing a basis for future research aimed at improving the utility of threat bias measures and interventions in clinical practice.

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