Ecological Momentary Assessment and Personalized Networks in Cognitive Bias Modification Studies on Addiction: Advances and Challenges

Adding cognitive bias modification (CBM) to treatment as usual for alcohol use disorders has been found reduce relapse rates. However, CBM not yielded effects a stand-alone intervention. One possible reason may be that this is due being underpinned by inferential rather than associative mental mechanisms. This change in perspective led proposed improved version of CBM: Inference-based ABC training. In training, participants learn relate the antecedents (A) their addiction behavior alternative behaviors (B) and expected consequences (C) relation long-term goals. Mechanisms triggering maintaining addiction, such those targeted during can differ between people. Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) derived personalized statistics, including models depicting relationships variables (i.e., networks), are therefore promising tools help optimally personalize paper, we (1) explain theoretical background first implementations training; (2) present novel approaches based on EMA; (3) propose ways forward integrate EMA potentially advance treatment; (4) discuss promises challenges these new approaches.