Keep Your Eye on the Target: Safety Behavior Reduces Targeted Threat Beliefs Following a Behavioral Experiment

Abstract

This study examined the effect of safety behavior on belief change during a behavioral experiment. Highly spider fearful participants (N = 126) evaluated a targeted negative belief about spiders during a brief behavioral experiment with a live tarantula. Participants were randomly assigned either to use or not use safety gear during the session. Results demonstrated that after the behavioral experiment, targeted negative beliefs were significantly lower in the safety gear condition than in the control condition. Both conditions benefited from comparable improvements across a broader constellation of negative spider-related beliefs. Safety gear facilitated closer approach to the spider during the session; however, participants who did not use safety gear experienced greater improvement in perceived control. These findings suggest that safety behavior need not impair corrective learning during cognitive-behavioral interventions and that it might indeed enhance it. Results are discussed in terms of cognitive-behavioral treatments for anxiety disorders and of the role of safety behavior therein.

The effects of preventive and restorative safety behaviors on a single-session of exposure therapy for contamination fear

“…A few studies that used protective gear (e.g., gloves, goggles, corresponding to PSB) have shown benign or beneficial outcomes in the confines of snake (Milosevic & Radomsky, 2008) and spider phobias (Milosevic & Radomsky, 2013). Why would PSB have varying impact across studies?…”

Further Support for the Acceptability-Enhancing Roles of Safety Behavior and a Cognitive Rationale in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders

“…In contrast, more recent studies have found comparable outcomes in exposure therapy with and without safety behavior (Deacon, Sy, Lickel, & Nelson, 2010;Hood, Antony, Koerner, & Monson, 2010;Milosevic & Radomsky, 2008, 2013bRachman, Shafran, Radomsky, & Zysk, 2011;van den Hout, Engelhard, Toffolo, & van Uijen, 2011). Lack of understanding regarding how to appropriately categorize safety behaviors as adaptive versus maladaptive coping strategies may explain these mixed findings (McKay, 2010;Thwaites & Freeston, 2005).…”

Incorporating the Judicious Use of Safety Behavior Into Exposure-Based Treatments for Anxiety Disorders: A Study of Treatment Acceptability

“…A considerable portion of previous research on treatment acceptability and preference relies on student or nonclinical community samples (e.g., Bragesjö, Clinton, & Sandell, 2004;Ertl & McNamara, 2000;Heaven & Furnham, 1994;Mohlman, 2012;Tarrier, Liversidge, & Gregg, 2006). Of course, the ideal method for investigating treatment acceptability is to sample from treatment-seeking and/or clinical populations, although this approach would be time consuming and expensive.…”