The impact of the attention training technique on attention control and worry

The present study examined whether the Attention Training Technique (ATT; Wells, 1990) is more efficacious at reducing worry and modifying GAD-related attention processes than a control intervention. Adults with Probable GAD (N = 29) monitored their worry for a week and were then randomly assigned to one of two audio recording interventions: ATT, or a control intervention that was not expected to train attention. Following one practice session at the laboratory, participants were instructed to listen to their assigned recording once per day for 7 consecutive days. Neither intervention showed a reduction in worry and most processes, although there was a significant reduction in attentional bias to threat from pre to postintervention that did not vary as a function of experimental condition. Findings suggest that overall, neither ATT nor the control intervention had a significant impact on worry and worry-related features. Explanations for the null findings are offered.