The Effectiveness of Cognitive Bias Modification Training on Various Anxiety Disorders

The Effectiveness of Cognitive Bias Modification Training on Various Anxiety Disorders

Jerry Falwell Library, Lower Esbenshade Atrium

This study used a population of participants with anxiety disorders to implement a random, controlled clinical trial to research the effectiveness of an internet-based Cognitive Bias Modification training (CBM-I) program as a treatment method. An advertisement was made available to the public using Liberty University’s login announcement forum. Participants who responded to the advertisement and volunteered were scanned and tested for the presence of a clinical anxiety disorder. The participants who tested positive for an anxiety disorder were then randomly assigned to either the experimental group or control group. Those randomly selected for the control group will use a placebo computer program that appears to be the CBM-I program. Only the researchers know which participants are in the experimental group and which participants are in the control group. The participants are blind as to whether they are receiving treatment of not. The experiment lasted 4 weeks, during which participants in both groups used the CBM-I program 3 times a week. In each session, all participants were required to use the CBM-I program for at least 20 minutes. Each researcher was given an amount of students to follow-up with and collect data from on a weekly basis. After the 4 weeks, researchers will compile all data and then run tests to look for significant results. These results may indicate the computer program’s effectiveness is treating various anxiety disorders using Cognitive Bias Modification training as treatment.