Hostile Bias Modification Training (HBMT) Study
Condition: Anger; Stress; Aggression
MeSH terms: Aggression
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The primary objective of the present protocol is to evaluate the effectiveness of real HBMT
      versus placebo on reducing HAB and aggression.

      The secondary objectives of the present protocol are:

        1. Investigate the role of individual difference variables on HAB, interpersonal
           aggression, and effects of HBMT.

        2. Collect vocal recording data to inform the development of algorithms to predict
           emotional stress from changes in speech.
    

Detailed description: 
      Aggression refers to causing harm to someone who is motivated to avoid that harm (Anderson &
      Bushman, 2002). Many Soldiers report heightened levels of anger and display elevated rates of
      aggressive behavior following combat deployments (Adler et al., 2011; Jakupcak et al., 2007;
      Novaco & Chemtob, 2015; Orth & Wieland, 2006; Thomas et al., 2010). Treating and addressing
      anger and aggression in combat Veterans can improve Soldier health as well as promote force
      readiness and lethality. One key predictor of anger and aggression when responding to the
      actions of other people is the extent to which the victim believes that the provocateur acted
      in an intentionally hostile manner (e.g., being shoved on purpose) versus not intending to be
      hostile (e.g., being shoved by mistake; De Castro, Veerman, Koops, Bosch, & Monshouwer,
      2002). This is called "hostile attributional bias" (HAB). Interpretation and attribution
      biases toward perceiving threats and danger are elevated in individuals with posttraumatic
      stress symptoms (Bonyea, Johnson, and Lang, 2017).

      In the present study, the investigators test the effectiveness of a computer-based training
      called Hostile Bias Modification Training (HBMT) to reduce HAB and aggressive behavior in
      response to an ambiguous provocation (ambiguously hostile comments). Volunteers will complete
      a real or placebo version of a computer training designed to reduce HAB, then receive and
      react to either unambiguously hostile or ambiguously hostile feedback. The feedback is in
      regards to an essay the volunteer was asked to write as part of the study. The investigators
      predict that receiving the real (vs. placebo) computer training will reduce HAB in response
      to the ambiguous feedback, but not the unambiguous feedback. Volunteers will then partake in
      a second computer task, which involves a reaction time competition against the same
      confederate where the loser receives a penalty in the form of a short, unpleasant, acoustic
      tone delivered via headphones. The volunteer is told they can set the volume and duration of
      unpleasant acoustic tones that would be administered to the confederate. Aggression is
      operationalized as setting higher volumes and/or longer durations for tones. This will allow
      us to measure how aggressive volunteers are in response to ambiguous provocations and
      determine if the computer training is effective in reducing aggression to ambiguous
      provocations and if reduced HAB is the underlying mechanism of this effect. Finally,
      volunteers will complete a set of personality measures so we can determine if the effects of
      the computer training are contingent on individual differences. If successful, this research
      would add validity to a potential intervention to help people suffering from anger and
      aggression management issues to reduce their symptoms.

      The investigators are also using this experiment as an opportunity to collect vocal pattern
      data to inform the development of algorithms to predict emotional stress from changes in
      vocal patterns. As such, voice recordings of volunteers reading standardized scripts will be
      made at three points in the study.
    

Intervention name(s): Hostile Bias Modification Training; Other training
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Volunteers will complete a novel computer-based hostile bias modification training where they are instructed to respond to word fragments (words with missing letters) based on whether the word fragments can be completed to form aggressive or positive/neutral words. They will refrain from making words that can only form aggressive words.; Volunteers will complete a computer-based task where they are instructed to respond to word fragments (words with missing letters) regardless of whether the fragments can make hostile or ambiguous words.
Other intervention name(s): HBMT
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Treatment