CONTROL AND ATTENTION DURING EXPOSURE INFLUENCE AROUSAL AND FEAR AMONG INSECT PHOBICS

Heart beats, skin conductance, and subjective fear levels were recorde d among eight pairs of DSM-III-R spider-phobic subjects (Experiment 1) and among eight pairs of DSM-III-R cockroach-phobic subjects (Experim ent 2) who were exposed simultaneously to an approaching specimen duri ng eight 4-minute trials. Control over the approach of the specimen al ternated between subjects over trials. On different trials, both subje cts were instructed either to attend closely to the features of the sp ecimen or to attend closely to their bodily fear reactions. Among spid er-phobic subjects (Experiment 1), Self-Control over the specimen prod uced higher skin conductance during exposure than did Partner-Control over the specimen; instructions to attend closely to the features of t he specimen produced higher skin-conductance than did instructions to attend closely to one's bodily fear reactions. Among cockroach-phobic subjects (Experiment 2), Self-Control over the specimen produced highe r skin conductance and higher self-reported fear than did Partner-Cont rol over the specimen during the early exposures. Instructions to atte nd closely to the specimen produced higher skin conductance and higher self-reported fear throughout the experiment and higher heart rates e arly during the experiment than did instructions to attend to one's bo dily reactions. Empirical generalizations based on these data are inte nded as contributions toward a fund of experimental information that, in due course, will be used to conceptualize the means by which exposu re to feared stimuli leads to fear reduction.