Jornal de Depressão e Ansiedade

Jornal de Depressão e Ansiedade
Acesso livre

ISSN: 2167-1044

Abstrato

High Spider Fearfuls can Overcome their Fear in a Virtual Approach-Avoidance Conflict Task

Pauline Dibbets,Riet Fonteyne

Spider-fearful persons are more reluctant to approach spiders and, if possible, tend to avoid their feared animal. These behavioural tendencies play a major role in the maintenance of their phobia. The present study is the first to motivate spider fearfuls approaching spiders in an approach-avoidance conflict. This was accomplished by using a virtual reality paradigm in which the participants had the choice between a safe, low rewarding, stimulus and a conflict symbol that signaled the occurrence of a high reward (80% of the trials) or a spider (20% of the trials). The results indicate that the virtual spider was capable of eliciting a strong fear response and that spider fearfuls can overcome their avoidance tendency in favour of a goal-directed approach response. Though no direct relation was observed between approach behaviour and a reduction in fear, spider fearfuls did report less spider fear, tension and disgust after the task. These results are promising for development of new treatment options for specific phobias.

Isenção de responsabilidade: Este resumo foi traduzido com recurso a ferramentas de inteligência artificial e ainda não foi revisto ou verificado.
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