title: Disconfirming contamination-related threat beliefs by exposure plus safety behavior.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Safety behavior (SB) is detrimental to the beneficial effects of exposure, because it prevents patients from obtaining evidence that disconfirms their excessive threat beliefs. However, previous studies showed that cleaning SB during exposure to a contaminant does not prevent a reduction in feelings of contamination, fear of contamination, danger, and disgust (CFDD). We aimed to directly examine the effect of SB during exposure to a contaminant on threat beliefs associated with CFDD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: repeated exposure to a contaminant whilst abstaining from SB (exposure plus response prevention; E + RP); with the use of disinfectant wipes after each instance of exposure (exposure plus SB; E + SB); or no exposure or safety behavior (control condition). Participants identified their threat belief associated with the contaminant and rated CFDD and the degree to which they believed their threat belief at the pre- and post-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The E + RP and E + SB condition resulted in a larger decrease of CFDD and threat belief ratings than the control condition, whereas these reductions did not differ between the E + RP and E + SB condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results were obtained from a nonclinical sample, and with a single session of exposure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cleaning SB did not impede the beneficial effects of exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. Electronic address: s.l.vanuijen@uu.nl.
authors.forename: Sophie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: van Uijen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marcel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: van den Hout
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anne T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Klein Schiphorst
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Emma S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Knol
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Iris M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Engelhard
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007171:Implosive Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities
keywords: Contamination; Disgust; Exposure; Safety behavior; Threat beliefs