Control and attention influence snake phobics' arousal and fear during laboratory confrontations with a caged snake☆

Heart rates and skin-conductance levels were recorded among eight pairs of snake-fearful subjects who were exposed simultaneously to an approaching snake during eight 4-min trials. Retrospective ratings of fear were acquired from the 16 subjects after each of the eight exposure trials. Control over the distance between the subjects and the snake alternated between subjects over trials. On different trials both subjects were instructed either to attend closely to the features of the snake or to attend closely to their bodily fear reactions. Instructions to attend closely to the snake produced higher skin-conductance and heart-rate reactivity and marginally higher fear ratings during the early trials than did instructions to attend to one's bodily reactions. Controlling the presentation of the snake produced higher skin-conductance reactivity during the early trials than did not controlling its presentation. Accumulated findings of this sort can be used by clinicians and theorists who work with exposure approaches to behavioral fear therapy.

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