TY - JOUR
T1 - Context-specificity of relapse
T2 - Effects of therapist and environmental context on return of fear
AU - Rodriguez, Beverly I.
AU - Craske, Michelle G.
AU - Mineka, Susan
AU - Hladek, Deanna
PY - 1999/9/1
Y1 - 1999/9/1
N2 - Context-specificity of fear extinction was tested among 65 participants who were fearful of spiders by manipulating the contexts used for exposure treatment and two-week follow-up assessment. Context was defined by both meaningful (presence of a particular therapist) and incidental (room location and furnishings) environmental cues. Distinct phobic stimuli were used to examine interactions of context with stimulus. Physiological, behavioral and verbal indices of fear were measured. Results provided modest support for context-specific return of fear. With one stimulus, participants assessed in a non-treatment context at follow-up exhibited greater returns in heart rate levels. In addition, three of four participants who could not touch the stimulus at follow-up had been tested in a non-treatment context. Future investigations may benefit from greater distinctions between contexts or manipulation of contextual features more directly relevant to fear. Finally, post hoc analyses identified high trait anxiety, slow treatment response, recovery of phobic cognitions and long duration/high intensity phobic encounters post-treatment as significant predictors of increased return of fear. Copyright (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.
AB - Context-specificity of fear extinction was tested among 65 participants who were fearful of spiders by manipulating the contexts used for exposure treatment and two-week follow-up assessment. Context was defined by both meaningful (presence of a particular therapist) and incidental (room location and furnishings) environmental cues. Distinct phobic stimuli were used to examine interactions of context with stimulus. Physiological, behavioral and verbal indices of fear were measured. Results provided modest support for context-specific return of fear. With one stimulus, participants assessed in a non-treatment context at follow-up exhibited greater returns in heart rate levels. In addition, three of four participants who could not touch the stimulus at follow-up had been tested in a non-treatment context. Future investigations may benefit from greater distinctions between contexts or manipulation of contextual features more directly relevant to fear. Finally, post hoc analyses identified high trait anxiety, slow treatment response, recovery of phobic cognitions and long duration/high intensity phobic encounters post-treatment as significant predictors of increased return of fear. Copyright (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0005-7967(98)00106-5
DO - 10.1016/S0005-7967(98)00106-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 10458048
AN - SCOPUS:0033012967
VL - 37
SP - 845
EP - 862
JO - Behaviour Research and Therapy
JF - Behaviour Research and Therapy
SN - 0005-7967
IS - 9
ER -