title: Does habituation matter? Emotional processing theory and exposure therapy for acrophobia.
abstract: Clinically, there is wide subscription to emotional processing theory (EPT; Foa & Kozak, 1986) as a model of therapeutic effectiveness of exposure therapy: EPT purports that exposure is maximal when (1) fear is activated (IFA), (2) fear subsides within sessions (WSH), and (3) fear subsides between sessions (BSH). This study examined these assumptions, using in vivo exposure therapy for 44 students scoring high on acrophobia measures. Results indicated that no EPT variables were consistently predictive of treatment outcome. No support was found for IFA or WSH; measures of BSH were predictive of short-term change, but these effects were attenuated at follow-up. Furthermore, EPT variables were not predictive of each other as previously hypothesized, indicating the variables are not functionally related.
authors: University of California, Los Angeles, USA. asbaker@ucla.edu
authors: Aaron
authors: A
authors: Baker
authors: Jayson
authors: J
authors: Mystkowski
authors: Najwa
authors: N
authors: Culver
authors: Rena
authors: R
authors: Yi
authors: Arezou
authors: A
authors: Mortazavi
authors: Michelle G
authors: MG
authors: Craske
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic / Q000379:methods*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D006801:Humans; D007171:Implosive Therapy; D008297:Male; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult