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The talking heads attentional bias assessment task: A readily available, reliable, and effective task for assessing attentional bias

Cognitive theories contend that attentional bias to negative information contributes to elevated trait anxiety. However, research in this area has been hindered by the lack of a standardized assessment task that demonstrates the required qualities, including strong internal consistency and ecological validity. The present study aimed to develop and validate the Talking Heads Attentional Bias Assessment Task, an easy-to-implement measure that overcomes the limitations of previous attentional bias assessment tasks.

Citation:
Mazidi M, MacLeod C, Ranjbar S, et al. The talking heads attentional bias assessment task: A readily available, reliable, and effective task for assessing attentional bias. Behav Res Methods. 2026;58(6). 

Keywords:
Anxiety; Attentional bias; Attentional probe; Internal consistency

Abstract:
Cognitive theories contend that attentional bias to negative information contributes to elevated trait anxiety. However, research in this area has been hindered by the lack of a standardized assessment task that demonstrates the required qualities, including strong internal consistency and ecological validity. The present study aimed to develop and validate the Talking Heads Attentional Bias Assessment Task, an easy-to-implement measure that overcomes the limitations of previous attentional bias assessment tasks.