An Experimental Investigation of the Use of Positive Imagery in the Treatment of Phobias

Abstract

This investigation examined the relative effectiveness of positive imagery and active-involvement imagery in the systematic desensitization treatment of phobias. Immediately after imagining hierarchy phobic scenes, clients in the positive imagery group (N = 9) imagined pleasant, relaxing scenes while clients in the active-involvement imagery group (N = 10) imagined themselves attempting to cope directly with the phobic stimulus and behaving in a relaxed and competent manner. At the end of treatment both groups showed substantial and equal improvement in the severity of their specific fear compared to a waiting list control group (N = 6). The positive imagery group showed greater reductions in general distress and obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. Follow-up assessment conducted one year after the termination of therapy revealed that the improvement was maintained in both treatment groups. On within treatment measures, the positive imagery group showed greater reductions in forehead electromygraphic activity during phobic scenes after repeated presentations of the phobic scene-positive scene sequence and the active-involvement imagery group showed greater reductions in self-report of fear across repeated presentations of their imagery sequence. The clinical usefulness of the imagery treatments and their theoretical foundations are discussed.

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