Combining Avoidance and Go/No-go Training in Alcohol-Dependent Patients

Keywords
No Thumbnail Available
Issue Date
2018-07-01
Language
en
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The tendency of alcohol-dependent individuals to selectively approach alcohol, called approach bias towards alcohol, contributes to maintenance of the addiction. Likewise, the positive evaluation of alcohol cues elicits the tendency to approach alcohol, strengthening the initial positive evaluation and consumption. The Approach-Avoidance Training (AAT) was found to effectively reduce approach bias and relapse rates in abstinent alcoholics. Another effective approach to modify behavior toward alcohol cues via changes in evaluation is the Go/No-go-Training (GNGT). Since the evaluation of a stimulus triggers behavioral tendencies, reductions in the approach bias towards alcohol might be augmented by simultaneously devaluing alcohol. The present study examined this additive effect in a sample of 134 alcohol-dependent patients. In addition to AAT, they received either active GNGT to modify evaluation or sham GNGT for six sessions. We found a general reduction in approach bias, but against expectations, there were no additive effects in reductions of approach bias and evaluation of alcohol when active GNGT was added. Conclusions and implications of these findings are discussed. Keywords: alcoholism, Cognitive Bias Modification, evaluation, go/no-go training
Description
Citation
Faculty
Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen