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Related Concept Videos

Cognitive Therapy01:25

Cognitive Therapy

Cognitive therapy, pioneered by Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s, is a structured approach to addressing psychological distress by focusing on the influence of thoughts on emotions and behaviors. All cognitive therapies involve the basic assumption that human beings have control over their feelings, and that how individuals feel about something depends on how they think about it. Unlike psychoanalytic methods that delve into unconscious processes or humanistic approaches emphasizing...
Beck's Cognitive Therapy01:25

Beck's Cognitive Therapy

Cognitive therapy is a psychological approach designed to address distortions in thinking, which can lead to negative emotions and unrealistic beliefs. These cognitive distortions often influence how individuals interpret and respond to situations, exacerbating emotional distress. Below are some prevalent cognitive distortions, their characteristics, and examples of how they manifest in thought processes.
Arbitrary Inference
Arbitrary inference involves making conclusions without sufficient...
Counterfactual Thinking01:19

Counterfactual Thinking

Counterfactual thinking is a cognitive process wherein individuals mentally reconstruct alternative versions of past events, often beginning with “what if” or “if only.” This reflective mechanism plays a significant role in shaping emotional experiences and guiding future behavior. Though typically triggered by unfavorable or unexpected outcomes, counterfactual thinking can also emerge in mundane, everyday decisions and experiences, revealing its deep entrenchment in human cognition.Types of...
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy01:24

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBTs) are grounded in the belief that our thoughts profoundly influence our emotions and actions. Advocates of CBT emphasize three core assumptions: first, that cognitions are identifiable and measurable; second, that they are central to psychological functioning; and third, that irrational or maladaptive beliefs can be replaced with rational and adaptive ones. This transformative approach to therapy has paved the way for specific models such as Albert Ellis's...
Introduction to Cognitive Psychology01:20

Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive psychology is the field of psychology dedicated to examining how people think. It attempts to explain how and why we think the way we do by studying the interactions among human thinking, emotion, creativity, language, and problem-solving, as well as other cognitive processes. Cognitive psychology studies how information is processed and manipulated in remembering, thinking, and knowing.
This field emerged in the mid-20th century, following a period dominated by behaviorism, which...
Motivational Bias01:25

Motivational Bias

Cognitive bias results from limitations in thinking and information processing, leading to systematic errors in judgment. Conversely, motivational bias stems from personal desires or emotions, causing distortions in perception to align with self-interest. Motivational bias influences how individuals perceive and attribute causes to events, often shaped by personal needs, goals, and self-esteem preservation. This bias can distort judgment, leading to inaccurate assessments of success, failure,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 2026

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
09:14

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published on: March 14, 2025

Cognitive Bias Modification Using Mental Imagery for Depression: Developing a Novel Computerized Intervention to

Tamara J Lang1, Simon E Blackwell, Catherine J Harmer

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford UK.

European Journal of Personality
|January 15, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Positive mental imagery via computerized cognitive bias modification intervention (CBM-I) significantly improved depressive symptoms and cognitive bias in depressed individuals. This novel digital therapy shows promise for treating depression by fostering more optimistic outlooks.

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Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression
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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 15, 2026

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
09:14

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Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression
08:42

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression

Published on: May 19, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive psychology
  • Clinical psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Individual differences in information processing impact mood and mental health.
  • Depression is often associated with negative interpretation biases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate a computerized cognitive bias modification intervention (CBM-I) targeting interpretation bias in depression.
  • To investigate the impact of positive mental imagery CBM-I on mental health and cognitive bias.

Main Methods:

  • Twenty-six depressed individuals participated in a one-week daily home-based intervention.
  • Participants were randomized to either positive imagery-focused CBM-I or a control condition.
  • Outcome measures including depressive symptoms and cognitive bias were assessed pre-treatment, post-treatment, and at follow-up.

Main Results:

  • The positive imagery CBM-I group showed significant improvements in depressive symptoms, cognitive bias, and intrusive symptoms compared to the control group.
  • Improvements in depressive symptoms were maintained at a trend level at two-week follow-up.

Conclusions:

  • Positive imagery-focused CBM-I is a potentially effective computerized intervention for depression.
  • This approach may help individuals develop more positive future outlooks and modify cognitive biases.