Reduction of human avoidant behavior: A comparison of counterconditioning, expectancy, and cognitive information approaches.

Abstract

This study was designed to compare the fear-reducing efficacy of procedures based on three major theories that have been proposed to account for the success of systematic desensitization therapy: (a) cognitive information storage and retrieval, (6) cognitive expectancy, and (c) counterconditioning. Predictions were confirmed in that the outcome measures of the high-expectancy placebo group and the two cognitive-coping groups were significantly superior to those of the counterconditioning and no-treatment groups. Thus, this experiment supports the supposition that changes in human avoidant behavior may be attributed to demand and expectancy variables rather than the conditioning of "antagonistic responses" as has been previously suggested.

Influence of contextual cues on the efficacy of desensitization and a credible placebo in alleviating public speaking anxiety.

“…Placebo /clinical context. This placebo manipulation replicated the procedures used by Tori and Worell (1973). Subjects learned that they would be presented with tachistoscopic scenes of individuals gesticulating while speaking.…”

“…Paul (1966) and Davison (1968) demonstrated the superiority of desensitization with evidence that supported a counterconditioning interpretation. Other investigators, however, have failed to differentiate the effects of desensitization and placebos in alleviating test anxiety (Allen, 1971) or small-animal phobias (McReynolds, Barnes, Brooks, & Rehagen, 1973;Tori & Worell, 1973). This inconsistency may be partly due to differences in the perceived credibility of the treatment and placebo procedures that have been used (Borkovec & Nau, 1972).…”

Placebo: Análisis conceptual de un constructo en transición

“…Es importante reconocer que, tal y como están las cosas, el que el tratamiento supere a un control placebo de baja credibilidad de ninguna manera demuestra la existencia de eficacia incremental. Aunque la mayoría de las terapias actuales han demostrado eficacia línea base, si se pueden desarollar fácilmente procedimientos placebo igualmente eficaces y creíbles, como parece ser el caso (Lick, 1975;McReynolds, Barnes, Brooks y Rehagen, 1973;Neumann, Critelli y Schneider, 1981;Tori y Worrell, 1973), sería erróneo tomar esa eficacia como una prueba de la «superioridad» general de una terapia (Wilkins, 1979a, pág. 840).…”

Consciousness and Self-Regulation

“…A number of other investigations (Goldfried, 1971;Goldfried and Trier, 1974;Langer, Janis, and Wolfer, 1973;Suinn and Richardson, 1971;Tori and Worrell, 1973) have also successfully applied a copingskills approach. In each case the client's cognitions playa major role in the change process.…”