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Keep Your Eye on the Target: Safety Behavior Reduces Targeted Threat Beliefs Following a Behavioral Experiment

Abstract  

This study examined the effect of safety behavior on belief change during a behavioral experiment. Highly spider fearful participants
(N = 126) evaluated a targeted negative belief about spiders during a brief behavioral experiment with a live tarantula. Participants
were randomly assigned either to use or not use safety gear during the session. Results demonstrated that after the behavioral
experiment, targeted negative beliefs were significantly lower in the safety gear condition than in the control condition.
Both conditions benefited from comparable improvements across a broader constellation of negative spider-related beliefs.
Safety gear facilitated closer approach to the spider during the session; however, participants who did not use safety gear
experienced greater improvement in perceived control. These findings suggest that safety behavior need not impair corrective
learning during cognitive-behavioral interventions and that it might indeed enhance it. Results are discussed in terms of
cognitive-behavioral treatments for anxiety disorders and of the role of safety behavior therein.

  • Content Type Journal Article
  • Category Original Article
  • Pages 1-15
  • DOI 10.1007/s10608-012-9483-2
  • Authors
    • Irena Milosevic, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
    • Adam S. Radomsky, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
    • Journal Cognitive Therapy and Research
    • Online ISSN 1573-2819
    • Print ISSN 0147-5916
Posted in: Journal Article Abstracts on 09/21/2012 | Link to this post on IFP |
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