The Contributions of Eye Movements to the Efficacy of Brief Exposure Treatment for Reducing Fear of Public Speaking
Seventy-one undergraduate psychology students with fear of public speaking were administered eye movements to reduce fear.
Article Abstract
“The present study was designed to isolate the effects of the eye-movement component of the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) procedure in the treatment of fear of public speaking. Seventy-one undergraduate psychology students who responded in a fearful manner on the Fear Survey Schedule II and on a standardized, self-report measure of public speaking anxiety (Personal Report of Confidence as a Speaker; PRCS) were randomly assigned to one of four groups in a 2 × 2 factorial design. The two independent variables assessed were treatment condition (imagery plus eye movements vs. imagery alone) and type of imagery (fear-relevant vs. relaxing). Dependent variables assessed were self-reported and physiological anxiety during exposure and behavioral indices of anxiety while giving a speech. Although process measures indicated exposure to fear-relevant imagery increased anxiety during the procedure, no significant differences among groups were found on any of the outcome measures, except that participants who received eye movements were less likely to give a speech posttreatment than participants who did not receive eye movements. Addition of the eye movements to the experimental procedure did not result in enhancement of fear reduction. It was concluded, consistent with the results of past research, that previously reported positive effects of the EMDR procedure may be largely due to exposure to conditioned stimuli.”
—Description from publisher
Article Access
Purchase/Subscription Required
Carrigan, M. H., & Levis, D. J. (1999). The contributions of eye movements to the efficacy of brief exposure treatment for reducing fear of public speaking. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 13(1-2), 101-118. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0887-6185(98)00042-5
Date
April 1, 1999
Creator(s)
Maureen H. Carrigan, Donald J. Levis
Topics
Anxiety/Panic/Phobias
Client Population
Students
Publisher
Elsevier
Rights
Copyright © 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
APA Citation
Carrigan, M. H., & Levis, D. J. (1999). The contributions of eye movements to the efficacy of brief exposure treatment for reducing fear of public speaking. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 13(1-2), 101-118. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0887-6185(98)00042-5
Audience
EMDR Therapists, Other Mental Health Professionals
Language
English
Content Type
Article, Peer-Reviewed
Access Type
External Resource