Cognitive Bias Modification for OCD

Eight sessions of scenario-based CBM-I training for OCD will be administered, based on the widely-used paradigm of ambiguous scenario training developed by Mathews and Mackintosh (2000), in which participants are presented with scenarios that are ambiguous in whether or not they are threatening. Participants will complete a computer task consisting of a series of written scenarios designed to improve interpretation and attributional biases; these scenarios conclude with word fragments, which participants must fill in to resolve the ambiguity.

Eight sessions of psychoeducation will be administered, which will describe symptoms of anxiety, the nature of biased thinking in anxiety, and summarize common psychosocial as well as pharmacological treatments for anxiety. The sessions will provide relevant information but will not provide training in changing thinking styles.

Eight sessions of this computerized training program will be used to train approach tendencies, following previously validated procedures (Najmi, Kuckertz, \& Amir, 2010). During the training program, participants will view a series of these images and be prompted to push or pull a joystick according to prompts on the screen, instead of the content of the picture. Avoidance will be stimulated through both pushing away (images on the screen will decrease in size upon the joystick being pushed), and approach will be stimulated through pulling towards pictures (images will increase in size to simulate approach).

Eight sessions of the approach avoidance training will be administered, however the percentage of push vs pull trials will be altered in this sham version of the training.