RT Journal Article
T1 Online Contingent Attention Training (OCAT): transfer effects to cognitive biases, rumination, and anxiety symptoms from two proof‑of‑principle studies
A1 Blanco Martínez, Iván
A1 Boemo Prieto, María Teresa
A1 Martin Garcia, Oscar
A1 Koster, Ernst H. W.
A1 De Raedt, Rudi
A1 Sánchez López, Álvaro
AB The aim of the present research was to develop and test the efficacy of a novel online contingent attention training (i.e., OCAT) to modify attention and interpretation biases, improve emotion regulation, and reduce emotional symptom levels in the face of major stressors. Two proof-of-principle studies were carried out. In study 1, 64 undergraduates who were about to start a major stressful period (i.e., final exams) were randomized to undergo 10 days of active OCAT or a sham-control training. Emotion regulation (habitual use of rumination and reappraisal) and symptom levels (depression and anxiety) were assessed before and after the intervention. In study 2, the same 2 × 2 mixed design was used with 58 individuals from the general population undergoing a major stressful situation (the lockdown period at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020). In both studies, the OCAT group showed significant improvements on attention towards negative information and interpretation biases in comparison to the sham-control group. Additionally, changes in cognitive biases transferred to reductions of participants’ use of rumination and anxiety symptom levels. These results show preliminary evidence regarding the efficacy of the OCAT to target attention and interpretation biases as well as to improve emotion regulation processes and to buffer against the effects of major stressors.
PB Springer Nature
YR 2023
FD 2023
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/132934
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/132934
LA eng
NO Blanco, I., Boemo, T., Martin-Garcia, O. et al. Online Contingent Attention Training (OCAT): transfer effects to cognitive biases, rumination, and anxiety symptoms from two proof-of-principle studies. Cogn. Research 8, 28 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-023-00480-3
NO Universidad Complutense de Madrid
NO Comunidad de Madrid
NO Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España)
DS Docta Complutense
RD 9 abr 2026