Insensitivity of Salivation to Fear Arousal in Women with Spider Phobias

Abstract

We examined salivary reactivity in 11 women with simple phobia of spiders and 11 controls in response to a spider and a neutral cue. No differences in salivary reactivity were observed across diagnosis or conditions. Clear reactivity in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and subjective units of distress were observed. Salivary reactivity was unrelated to any other measure of reactivity. These results suggest that a decrease in salivation is not a universal response to acute anxiety.