The objective of the proposed study is to test a computerized cognitive bias modification program (CBM) to treat attention and interpretive biases in patients with Intermittent Explosive Disorder, a disorder characterized by habitual engagement in aggressive behavior. Efficacy of the CBM program will be assessed via a small randomized controlled trial comparing CBM to a computerized control condition. This training program would consist of a four-week regimen of twice-weekly 30-minute sessions (8 sessions total) during which individuals would learn to: (a) focus attention away from threatening words toward neutral words [attention bias], and (b) to disambiguate ambiguous interpersonal scenarios using more benign, rather than threatening, interpretations [interpretive bias]. Participants will be asked to complete behavioral measures of attention bias and interpretive bias, as well as self-report measures of anger / aggression, interpretive bias, emotion regulation and life satisfaction at baseline (pre-training), post-training, and 1-month follow-up.
This randomized controlled trial will test a computerized cognitive bias modification program (CBM) to treat attention and interpretive biases in patients with primary aggression.