Multi-session, Personalized Cognitive Bias Modification for Thought-Action-Fusion

Thought-Action-Fusion (TAF) is a cognitive bias that posits (1) having unwanted thoughts is morally equivalent to acting upon the thoughts (TAF-Moral; e.g., "Thinking about harming a child is as immoral as actually harming a child") and (2) having unwanted thoughts will increase the likelihood of the thoughts happening in real life (TAF-Likelihood; e.g., "My mother will get into a car accident, because I thought about it"). Given its central role in the development and maintenance of OCD, TAF has emerged as a potential treatment target for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Previous research has demonstrated that TAF is indeed a malleable construct. This study aims to examine the effects of a multi-session, personalized cognitive bias modification (CBM) for thought-action-fusion (TAF) on improving obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms in a college sample.

Inclusion Criteria: * A score of 18 or higher on the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) * Aged 18 or higher * Access to a mobile device (i.e., smartphone) Exclusion Criteria: * Self-reported visual impairment that cannot be adjusted and will prevent them from clearly recognizing words and pictures on mobile screen * Self-reported history of a bipolar disorder or psychotic disorder on a Diagnostic History Scale (DHS) * Inability to adequately understand the study procedure as determined by the responses to comprehension questions provided at the time of the consent