CONTROL AND ATTENTION INFLUENCE SNAKE PHOBICS AROUSAL AND FEAR DURINGLABORATORY CONFRONTATIONS WITH A CAGED SNAKE

Heart rates and skin-conductance levels were recorded among eight pair s of snake-fearful subjects who were exposed simultaneously to an appr oaching snake during eight 4-min trials. Retrospective ratings of fear were acquired from the 16 subjects after each of the eight exposure t rials. Control over the distance between the subjects and the snake al ternated between subjects over trials. On different trials both subjec ts were instructed either to attend closely to the features of the sna ke or to attend closely to their bodily fear reactions. Instructions t o attend closely to the snake produced higher skin conductance and hea rt-rate reactivity and marginally higher fear ratings during the early trials than did instructions to attend to one's bodily reactions. Con trolling the presentation of the snake produced higher skin-conductanc e reactivity during the early trials than did not controlling its pres entation. Accumulated findings of this sort can be used by clinicians and theorists who work with exposure approaches to behavioral fear the rapy.