Web-delivered multisession alcohol-linked attentional bias modification for binge drinking: Cognitive and behavioral effects in young adult college students.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the efficacy of a web-delivered alcohol-linked attentional bias modification (AtBM) procedure designed to train attentional bias (AB) for negative alcohol-related expectancies.

METHOD

Using a double-blind randomized controlled design, 43 college students (aged 18-25) who reported consuming four or more drinks, each comprising 10 g of alcohol, on a single occasion in the past month (i.e., binge drinking) completed five web-based self-administered sessions over 3 weeks of AtBM toward negative alcohol-related expectancies or sham-training (control) modified dot-probe task. AB for negative alcohol-related expectancies was assessed pretraining, immediately posttraining, and 1 month following the AtBM (i.e., 1-month follow-up). Binge drinking frequency was assessed at pretraining and 1-month follow-up.

RESULTS

At 1-month follow-up, the AtBM training group showed significantly greater AB for negative alcohol-related expectancies than the sham-training control group. No other AtBM effects were observed for alcohol expectancy AB scores nor for binge drinking frequency.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides preliminary support for the use of a novel web-based AtBM procedure that trains AB for negative alcohol-related expectancies, with intended effects on AB observed at 1-month follow-up. Further research is needed to establish generalization of cognitive bias effects and translation to significant reductions in hazardous drinking and to identify moderators of effects. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).