Depressed people tend to process or recall negative information easier than positive or neutral information. A recent method that promises modifying the intrusive memories is cognitive bias modification (CBM). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of four weeks training of interpretation (CBM-I) and CBM-I based on self-generation among the students with depressive symptoms and to compare them with computerized cognitive behavior training. The present study is a quasi-experimental research with three groups including pre-test, post-test and follow-up. Fifty one students were randomly assigned into groups of standardized CBM-I, self-generation, and computerized cognitive behaviour training. Instruments included a questionnaires related to the mood, interpretation bias, memory bias and dysfunctional attitudes. Standardized CBM-I, self-generation, and computerized cognitive-behaviour training significantly showed reduced symptoms of depression, enhanced mood, increased positive interpretation bias, increased positive memory bias and reduced negative memory bias. In none of the variables no significant difference was observed between the interventions. Only for positive memory bias, self-generation method was significantly superior to cognitive-behaviour therapy-but not to standardized CBM-I.

Objectives: A recent method that modifies the intrusive memories is cognitive bias modification. This study aimed to investigate and compare the three none-attendance therapies of standardized cognitive bias modification, cognitive bias modification based self-generation and cognitive-behavior training.Methods: According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 51 participants were selected via purposive sampling method. Then, they were randomly assigned to either of three groups: standardized cognitive bias modification, self-generation, and cognitive-behavioral training groups. Questionnaires and scales related to mood, interpretation bias, memory bias, positive and negative emotions, and inappropriate attitudes were used as the research instruments.Results: Results indicate that all three treatment methods are effective (P<0.01). But, the three groups had no significant differences in mood-related variables (depression signs, mood, positive and negative affect). Regarding the cognitive variables (interpretation bias, positive and negative memory bias, dysfunctional attitudes), interventions were effective, and the groups exhibited significant differences (P<0.01).Conclusion: Standardized cognitive bias modification and self-generation through new 4-week procedures serve as effective methods for attenuating depression while improving the states of interpretation bias, inappropriate attitude, and memory.

Introduction: Many of the students' educational problems, including academic failure and maladaptive behaviors, stem from exam anxiety caused by students' cognitive bias. Cognitive bias modification can reduce attention biases of students to negative issues. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive bias modification intervention on reducing attention bias in students with test anxiety. Methods: This research was an experimental study with pre and post-tests and a control group design. Statistical population of the study included all high school female students with test anxiety in district 3 of Tehran city in 2018-2019 academic years. Research sample included 32 female students with test anxiety that were selected by cluster sampling and classified into two groups: experimental group (n=16 subjects) and control group (n=16 subjects). The research instrument used in this study was the Sarason Anxiety Questionnaire (1980) with a reliability of 0. 88 and dot probe task (2017) Which has good validity and reliability for hated face that is 0. 94 and for neutral face is 0. 95. The results were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance in SPSS version 22. Results: The results of Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) showed that cognitive bias modification were effective in attention bias of students with test anxiety (P < 0. 05). Conclusions: According to the results, it can be said that using this intervention can reduce the attention bias of the students with test anxiety, and thus increase the mental health and concentration of the students with test anxiety.

Introduction: Cognitive bias modification procedures are considered therapist-independent, computer-based, and relatively new interventions, which are mainly used as outpatient therapies for anxiety, emotional disorders, and different types of addiction. This paper aimed to present the latest findings of the studies on cognitive bias modification to enhance the knowledge of experts and researchers of the effects of such procedures in both practice and theory. At first, cognitive bias modification was briefly defined. Then, its different procedures (attention bias modification, interpretation bias modification, and memory bias modification) and the therapies based on these modification procedures were introduced. Then, the studies conducted on the effectiveness of such therapies were reviewed and their results were discussed. Conclusion: All the studies suggested, in a relatively consistent and significant way, that it is possible to modify cognitive bias processes in various disorders, such as anxiety and emotional disorders, mood disorders, chronic pain, obsessive disorders, addiction, and intellectual rumination. Furthermore, computer programs for cognitive bias modification and dot-probe tasks are suitable alternatives or complementary options for reducing or treating clinical symptoms and cognitive biases. In addition to the need for inventing therapy applications and adapting cultural characteristics of English versions for the Iranian population, new investigations are required to evaluate both the clinical crowd and the effectiveness of these modification procedures for various disorders.

Background & aim: Inability to control drug use is one of the main aspects of drug dependence. Part of this disability is due to the cognitive biases that result from people's constant exposure to substances. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the effectiveness of cognitive bias correction in real and placebo modes. Methods: The present research was a quasi-experimental study with pretest and posttest design and control group. of Kerman's opiate users in 2018, 75 individuals were selected by purposive sampling and were randomly divided into three equal groups(experimental, placebo, and control). Computer tasks were used to correct cognitive bias in both experimental and placebo groups. These tasks included: dot probe task (to correct attentional bias) and avoidance task(to correct tendency bias) that were used in each treatment session in combination. In the real group for 8 sessions, the real version of the cognitive bias correction task was presented and the placebo group received the placebo version for 8 sessions, but the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance. Results: The results revealed that after intervention, attention bias in the real group(M=28. 28 SD=38. 57) compared to the placebo group(M=0. 16 SD=34. 36) and the control group decreased significantly. A significant decrease was also observed in (SD=33. 73 M=16. 03) and attentional bias correction treatment decreased attentional bias (p≥ 0. 05), but placebo of this intervention had no effect on attentional bias. There was also a meaningful difference in tendency bias between the real and placebo groups (p≥ 0. 05). Conclusion: The results of the present study indicated the effectiveness of cognitive bias correction intervention on attentional bias and tendency bias in opiate abusers and may be used as a complementary and low cost intervention in addiction treatment.

Aim and Background: Intimacy and marital compatibility between couples maintain and strengthen the family foundation. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a methodology based on cognitive bias correction and to determine the effectiveness of its training on bias, intimacy and adaptation of couples with marital incompatibility. Methods and Materials: The research method was quasi-experimental and the design of the pretest, posttest research was with the control group. The statistical population of the study was couples with marital problems who referred to counseling centers in Arak in 1398. The sample consisted of 16 couples (32 people) with marital incompatibility and cognitive bias who were selected by available methods. Data were collected using the Lock-Wallace (1959) Compatibility Questionnaire, Walker-Thompson (1983) Marital Intimacy Questionnaire, and the Point-of-Exploration Assignment Software (2015). Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data and examine the relationships between variables. Findings: The results showed that the treatment method based on the correction of cognitive bias has an acceptable content validity. Also, the results of the educational intervention showed that the training of the method significantly reduces the cognitive bias of the couple and increases the intimacy and adaptation of the couple (P≤ 0. 001). Conclusions: It seems that training in the treatment method based on cognitive bias correction can be considered as a valid and effective program to reduce cognitive bias and increase intimacy and compatibility of incompatible couples.

Introduction: For many years, it has been emphasized on the role of attentional bias in addiction-related disorders, including its role in craving and relapse. This reseasrch aimed to investigate, the effectiveness of attentional bias modification on attention bias, pre-attentional bias and craving in abstinent addicts. Methods: Three groups (control, attentional bias modification and attentional bias modification with reinforcement and punishment) in three phases (pre-test, post-test, and follow up) assessed in attentional bias, pre-attentional bias, and craving. During the pretest and post-test, the control group received placebo training, while the second group received attentional bias modification training, and the third group received attentional bias modification training with reinforcement and punishment, respectively. To measure attentional bias, pre-attentional bias, and interventions, and to measure craving Dotprobe task test and Brief Substance Craving Scale were used respectively. Results: The results indicated that there was a significant difference between three groups in attentional bias in post-test and follow-up, the pre-attentional bias in post-test, and craving in the post-test. The control group obtained a higher score in pre-attentional bias than two experimental groups in the pre-attentional bias in follow up and attentional bias modification with reinforcement and punishment group obtained a lower score in craving than two other groups in craving in follow up. Conclusion: It seems that adding reinforcement and punishment to the classical intervention of attentional bias modification can lead to improving the effectiveness of this intervention. Besides, interventions based on attention bias modification are efficient interventions.

Problems in cognitive processes were reported in infertile persons. The present study has focused on biases as a type of cognitive vulnerability in these persons. The aim was at first, to determine whether there is memory, attention and problem-solving baises in these persons, and then which type of processing there are involved? One hundred ten subjects participated in the study including 55 infertile (30 females and 25 males), and 55 fertile (30 females and 25 males). In memory, subjects were asked to listen to a list of words including 12 infertility related words, 12 neutral words and 12 animal names. They were given free recall test to remember as many words as possible and then they were asked to recognize target words among 36 distractor words. In attention, the subjects were required to name the color of 34 words (17 infertility related and 17 neutral) as fast as possible. The subjects reaction time was recorded by computer. In problem solving, the subjects were required to complete 10 words (5 infertility related and 5 neutral) which were fragmented by some letters. Repeated messure analysis variance was used, in memory, the design was 2 groups (fertile, infertile) ×2 sex (male, female) ×3 type of word (infertility related, neutral and animal name) and in attention the design was 2 group (fertile and infertile) ×2 sex (male, female) ×2 type of word (infertility related and neutral), in problem solving independent T test was used for comparison between fertile and infertile women. The results of memory tests showed that infertile women as compared to fertile men recalled and recognized more infertility related words than other type of words. In attention test, there was no significant difference in reaction time between infertile and fertile groups in infertility related words and neutral words. In problem solving test in neutral words, infertile women as compared with fertile men, completed fewer words significantly, but in infertility related words there was no significant difference between them. Since, memory and problem solving the processes are deep and strategic and in attention are automatic, the results of memory and problem solving, showed that infertile women process the infertility related stimulus in controlled, strategic, and deep manner, and on the basis of attention results, they do not show the automatic and uncontrolled processing. Thus in treatment of psychological consequence of infertility, cognitive methods is the best method, because they focus directly on conscious thought.

The present quasi-experimental study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of attentional bias correction software on optimism in a pretest-posttest design with control group. The software was designed and built by the researchers. The statistical population consisted of all students of the Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences of Iran University of Medical Sciences in the academic year of 1996-97. Randomized to four experimental groups, each consisting of 15 subjects and a control group of 15 individuals. The experimental groups were divided into four groups: the first group played a positive face selection game among other facial emotions. The second group played the game of choosing positive images from other images in the field of animated and inanimate nature. The third group had to choose a word with a positive meaning from neutral words. The fourth group played a combination of all three groups above. Scheier et al. 's (1994) optimism questionnaire was used for data collection. The data were analyzed by SPSS software using mixed analysis of variance. The results showed that the designed software had sufficient content and differential validity and the results suggest that the use of facial expressions, words, combined group and animated and inanimate images on optimism was more than the control group. This difference was also significant at the follow-up stage. Also, the largest increase in optimism was related to the use of facial expression images.

Background: Depression is one of the most common chronic diseases among people with high levels of comorbidity with other mental disorders. But the key question is, does the interpretation of interpretation bias affect the repair and reduction of behavioral and cognitive symptoms in patients with depression? Aims: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of correction of interpretation bias on the repair and reduction of behavioral and cognitive symptoms in patients with depression. Method: This was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest design and follow-up. The statistical population of this study consisted of 15 patients with mild to severe depression who were selected by convenience sampling method. Tools include the Beck Depression Inventory (1961), an edited version of the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R), Baron and Cohen's Eye Reading Test (1), and the Persian Version of the Mind Reading Test by Sound (Nejat). Et al., 2015). Data analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA with repeated measures. Results: Interpretation bias correction has an effect on repair and reduction of behavioral and cognitive symptoms in patients with depression (p<0/001) Conclusions: Interpretation bias correction can be used to reduce cognitive and behavioral symptoms of depression.