Modifying approach bias in the health domain: a systematic review of the literature

Abstract

Background: Approach bias modification is a novel intervention that can be used to modify automatic approach tendencies for appetitive cues. The current systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of techniques used to modify approach bias in the health domain, in particular for alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and unhealthy eating. Methods: Searches were conducted in PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, Scopus and Google Scholar between October and December 2015 for published studies that used an experimental design to implement at least one training session and reported a health behavior related outcome. Findings: From 437 identified papers, 15 papers (comprising 18 individual studies) were included and coded on a number of characteristics, including consumption behavior, participants, task, training and control conditions, number of training sessions and trials, outcome measure, and findings. All studies, except one, that found favorable outcomes for the training group on outcomes (e.g., reduced consumption in the laboratory, lower relapse rates, and improvement in self-reported appetitive behavior) had also successfully re-trained approach bias for appetitive cues. Discussion: The current review concluded that approach bias modification is effective for modifying both automatic approach action tendencies for appetitive cues and consumption behavior. Future research should aim to identify the factors associated with success of approach bias modification to improve the clinical utility of this technique for use in the health domain.