Clinical Psychology Article review completion 80% done. One page will suffice

  

Only two questions left to address from the review but still need to be adequate and in keeping with the current style/level of writing. 1.What is your personal opinion of the study conducted? Should it be repeated? What could be improved?2. What is your overall impression of the work? What are the implications of the study for the practice of clinical counseling psychology?The article in progress has been attached and contains the article reference being reviewedARTICLE REVIEW
Article Review
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PSYC 436
ARTICLE REVIEW
The present study was aimed toward assessing the implications of using positive
attention bias modification training (ABMT) on individuals with clinical depression through
an online setting. The researchers of the study asserts that there is a myriad of existing
(namely in eye tracking) research that points toward depression being characterized by a bias
in attention, interpretation, and memory. This essentially means that individuals with
depression have been found to focus their attention and interpretations of miscellaneous
stimuli negatively. This is referred to as attentional and interpretational biases. Simply put,
the overall purpose of the study is to use ABMT as a means of transferring attentional bias
from negative to positive stimuli.
Therefore, the general hypothesis being tested states that changes to interpretational
bias will result through strengthening the attentional bias to positive stimuli of depressed
individuals by means of attentional bias modification training (ABMT). Theoretically, this
can be demonstrated in participants creating more positive interpretations of an ambiguous
stimulus (scrambled words) in addition to changes in attention bias by maintaining visual
attention longer on positive words after the training than before.
After a stringent screening process of the 221 individuals who responded to the call for
the study only 94 individuals met the initial qualification of depression upon completing the
Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D): Of which 21 declined to
partake in a follow up interview. The remaining 73 participants underwent a 60-90 min
interview with a trained clinician based on the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview
(MINI) version 5.0.0. Only participants currently diagnosed exclusively with a major
depression disorder were permitted to participate: Which eliminated 3 more individuals, and
another 10 dropped out after commencing the study. The final 60 participants were allocated
ARTICLE REVIEW
randomly to a condition in the double-blind procedure, of which 33 went to the experimental
group, and 27 to the control group. For the training task baseline measures were collected.
Participants were to maintain an online diary for 7 consecutive days and participate in 14
consecutive days of online training (ABMT).
ABMT is typically performed using what is referred to as a dot-probe task that is
intended to change attentional bias by placing a probe, to which an individual has to respond,
behind either a positive (or negative) or neutral stimulus. Hence, for the online positive
training the probe was fixed on positive stimuli 100% of the time for the experimental group,
Whereas, in the control group the probe replaced positive stimuli 50% of their trials to ensure
attention was not aimed at any particular stimuli. Both groups were given equal number of
trials (30) in three randomly assigned blocks (words, faces, or images). For the experiment
participants were sat in front of a monitor where a fixation cross was placed in the center for
500 milliseconds. Subsequently after the fixation cue, a pair of the same stimuli (words, faces,
blocks) were placed on the top and bottom of the screen for 3000ms. There was always one
positive and one neutral image of the same stimuli. For example; when using faces, the same
face was depicted in a happy or neutral expression. After the 3000ms, a dot probe was placed
on one of the stimuli until the participant indicated its location using the up and down arrow
of the keyboard, which then prompted the following image.
Additionally, a computerized version of the SST to measure participants’ tendency to interpret
ambiguous information was used. For this exercise participants were to create sentences using
sets of words, and the sets of words provide the basis for sentences that describe the self in a
positive way or in a negative way. Beginning with a fixation cross lasting 1000ms,
participants were given 20 scrambled sentences of 6 words (negative and positive) which they
ARTICLE REVIEW
were to unscramble 5 words to form the first statement which comes to mind. During this
sentence building exercise recorded eye-tracking (SMI’s experiment center and SMI’s
BeGaze) software was synced to each prompted question. Researchers measured visual
attention toward positive and negative words using two similar measures: first fixation
duration (FFD) on the words individually and total fixation time (total time spent assessing all
the words). This was calculated using the standard formula for FFD;
FFDrelative =
FFDpositive
FFDpositive + FFDnegative
Finally, post training measures were collected 4 weeks after pre-test and a week after
training completion using such post measures as: Self-System Therapy (SST) and Hospital and
Anxiety Depression Scale (HAD), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CESD), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaires. This was done to collect data on
self-reported measures of symptoms.
Upon completion of the experiment an analysis of the probe time was found to have
decreased linearly in the positive ABMT condition: this points toward a success in redirecting
attention toward positive stimuli. Meanwhile the first hypothesis is supported through eyemovement analysis; which essentially means that participants of the positive ABMT group
gazed longer than the control group at positive stimuli after training.
The results did not fully support our second hypothesis about the mod- ification of interpretation bias through positive attention
training. At the post-test, although participants in the ABMT condition created more positive sentences than the control group, this
difference was not statistically significant using the traditional level of .05.
In terms of symptoms reduction, after training we found a significant decrease in reports of anxious symptoms in the positive ABMT
group (the HADS – anxiety subscale and the STAI), whereas there was no change in the control group. In terms of symptoms of
depression, there were no group differences at the post-training session.
ARTICLE REVIEW
The researchers were able to utilize existing research on ABMT to address possible
limitations of the study.
What is your personal opinion of the study conducted? Should it be repeated? What
could be improved?

What is your overall impression of the work? What are the implications of the
study for the practice of clinical counseling psychology?
Reference
Krejtz, I., Holas, P., Rusanowska, M., & Nezlek, J.B. (2018). Positive online attentional
training as a means of modifying attentional and interpretational biases among the
ARTICLE REVIEW
clinically depressed: An experimental study using eye-tracking. Journal of Clinical
Psychology, 74, 1594–1606. Doi: 10.1002/jclp.22617
ARTICLE REVIEW
Article Review
gkjjkgglglg
jgkgjll
PSYC 436
ARTICLE REVIEW
The present study was aimed toward assessing the implications of using positive
attention bias modification training (ABMT) on individuals with clinical depression through
an online setting. The researchers of the study asserts that there is a myriad of existing
(namely in eye tracking) research that points toward depression being characterized by a bias
in attention, interpretation, and memory. This essentially means that individuals with
depression have been found to focus their attention and interpretations of miscellaneous
stimuli negatively. This is referred to as attentional and interpretational biases. Simply put,
the overall purpose of the study is to use ABMT as a means of transferring attentional bias
from negative to positive stimuli.
Therefore, the general hypothesis being tested states that changes to interpretational
bias will result through strengthening the attentional bias to positive stimuli of depressed
individuals by means of attentional bias modification training (ABMT). Theoretically, this
can be demonstrated in participants creating more positive interpretations of an ambiguous
stimulus (scrambled words) in addition to changes in attention bias by maintaining visual
attention longer on positive words after the training than before.
After a stringent screening process of the 221 individuals who responded to the call for
the study only 94 individuals met the initial qualification of depression upon completing the
Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D): Of which 21 declined to
partake in a follow up interview. The remaining 73 participants underwent a 60-90 min
interview with a trained clinician based on the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview
(MINI) version 5.0.0. Only participants currently diagnosed exclusively with a major
depression disorder were permitted to participate: Which eliminated 3 more individuals, and
another 10 dropped out after commencing the study. The final 60 participants were allocated
ARTICLE REVIEW
randomly to a condition in the double-blind procedure, of which 33 went to the experimental
group, and 27 to the control group. For the training task baseline measures were collected.
Participants were to maintain an online diary for 7 consecutive days and participate in 14
consecutive days of online training (ABMT).
ABMT is typically performed using what is referred to as a dot-probe task that is
intended to change attentional bias by placing a probe, to which an individual has to respond,
behind either a positive (or negative) or neutral stimulus. Hence, for the online positive
training the probe was fixed on positive stimuli 100% of the time for the experimental group,
Whereas, in the control group the probe replaced positive stimuli 50% of their trials to ensure
attention was not aimed at any particular stimuli. Both groups were given equal number of
trials (30) in three randomly assigned blocks (words, faces, or images). For the experiment
participants were sat in front of a monitor where a fixation cross was placed in the center for
500 milliseconds. Subsequently after the fixation cue, a pair of the same stimuli (words, faces,
blocks) were placed on the top and bottom of the screen for 3000ms. There was always one
positive and one neutral image of the same stimuli. For example; when using faces, the same
face was depicted in a happy or neutral expression. After the 3000ms, a dot probe was placed
on one of the stimuli until the participant indicated its location using the up and down arrow
of the keyboard, which then prompted the following image.
Additionally, a computerized version of the SST to measure participants’ tendency to interpret
ambiguous information was used. For this exercise participants were to create sentences using
sets of words, and the sets of words provide the basis for sentences that describe the self in a
positive way or in a negative way. Beginning with a fixation cross lasting 1000ms,
participants were given 20 scrambled sentences of 6 words (negative and positive) which they
ARTICLE REVIEW
were to unscramble 5 words to form the first statement which comes to mind. During this
sentence building exercise recorded eye-tracking (SMI’s experiment center and SMI’s
BeGaze) software was synced to each prompted question. Researchers measured visual
attention toward positive and negative words using two similar measures: first fixation
duration (FFD) on the words individually and total fixation time (total time spent assessing all
the words). This was calculated using the standard formula for FFD;
FFDrelative =
FFDpositive
FFDpositive + FFDnegative
Finally, post training measures were collected 4 weeks after pre-test and a week after
training completion using such post measures as: Self-System Therapy (SST) and Hospital and
Anxiety Depression Scale (HAD), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CESD), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaires. This was done to collect data on
self-reported measures of symptoms.
Upon completion of the experiment an analysis of the probe time was found to have
decreased linearly in the positive ABMT condition: this points toward a success in redirecting
attention toward positive stimuli. Meanwhile the first hypothesis is supported through eyemovement analysis; which essentially means that participants of the positive ABMT group
gazed longer than the control group at positive stimuli after training.
************************************************************************************************
The results did not fully support our second hypothesis about the mod- ification of interpretation bias through positive
attention training. At the post-test, although participants in the ABMT condition created more positive sentences than the
control group, this difference was not statistically significant using the traditional level of .05.
In terms of symptoms reduction, after training we found a significant decrease in reports of anxious symptoms in the positive
ABMT group (the HADS – anxiety subscale and the STAI), whereas there was no change in the control group. In terms of
ARTICLE REVIEW
symptoms of depression, there were no group differences at the post-training session. These findings suggest that attention to
positive stimuli in our attentional training transferred to the attentional processing of other stimuli (i.e., positive keywords),
both at the early (FFD) and later stages of visual processing at overall gaze maintenance (total fixation time). The fact that our
attentional training increased processing of positive information is particularly valuable, considering the lack of positive
attentional bias that is characteristic of depression (Armstrong & Olatunji, 2012). We believe that the current finding of greater
visual attention toward positive stimuli following positive ABMT indicates a change in depressive attentional bias to a more
adaptive and healthy pattern.
^^^^^^ Please reword and summarize^^^^^
Then answer last two questions;

What is your personal opinion of the study conducted? Should it be
repeated? What could be improved?

What is your overall impression of the work? What are the implications of the
study for the practice of clinical counseling psychology?
Reference
Krejtz, I., Holas, P., Rusanowska, M., & Nezlek, J.B. (2018). Positive online attentional
training as a means of modifying attentional and interpretational biases among the
clinically depressed: An experimental study using eye-tracking. Journal of Clinical
Psychology, 74, 1594–1606. Doi: 10.1002/jclp.22617
ARTICLE REVIEW

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