Enhancing Exposure Therapy for Snake and Spider Phobias

Summary

This study tests whether exposure therapy for fear of snakes or spiders is enhanced by the addition of a brief fear retrieval trial prior to treatment, and the use of compound extinction during treatment. The goal of the study is to determine whether these behavioral techniques enhance the efficacy of exposure therapy, one of the most empirically supported treatments for anxiety disorders.

Conditions

• Specific Phobia

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Exposure Therapy with Retrieval

Participants will receive one-session exposure therapy (up to 92 minutes) for fear of spiders or fear of snakes. Thirty minutes prior to exposure therapy, participants will receive a fear retrieval trial, which is a brief exposure to the feared stimulus (snake or spider). Based on recent basic science research, the fear retrieval trial is expected to enhance the efficacy of exposure therapy.

BEHAVIORAL

Exposure Therapy with Compound Extinction

Participants will receive one-session exposure therapy (up to 92 minutes) for fear of spiders or fear of snakes. As a component of therapy, participants will receive compound extinction, which consists of exposure to two feared stimuli simultaneously (two spiders or two snakes). Based on recent basic science research, compound extinction is expected to enhance the efficacy of exposure therapy.

BEHAVIORAL

Exposure Therapy with Retrieval and Compound Extinction

Participants will receive one-session exposure therapy (up to 92 minutes) for fear of spiders or fear of snakes. Thirty minutes prior to exposure therapy, participants will receive a brief fear retrieval trial. As a component of therapy, participants will also receive compound extinction.

BEHAVIORAL

Therapist-guided Exposure Therapy

Participants will receive one-session exposure therapy (up to 92 minutes) for fear of spiders or fear of snakes.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

  collaborator NIH

• University of Texas at Austin

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Michael J Telch, PhD · University of Texas at Austin

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2012-08-31

Primary Completion

2019-12-31

Completion

2019-12-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations