THE EFFECTS OF VERY BRIEF EXPOSURE ON SYMPTOMS OF FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

Prior research on very brief exposure (VBE) has demonstrated that it is effective in reducing phobic avoidance of a tarantula by arachnophobic participants (Siegel, Anderson, & Han, 2011; Siegel & Weinberger, 2009, 2012).This study expanded on this research by testing whether VBE is also effective in reducing avoidance behavior and negative thinking in individuals who fear public speaking. 21 participants were identified using the Public Speaking Anxiety Scale ((Bartholomay & Houlihan, 2016), and a baseline public speaking Behavioral Avoidance Test (BAT). One week later, they were randomly administered one of two types of exposure: VBE to masked angry faces or control exposure to masked flowers. Immediately after, they engaged in a post-exposure BAT. After each BAT – baseline and post-exposure, participants completed a thought log where they wrote all the thoughts they recalled having during the BAT (negative and positive). It was hypothesized that participants who received VBE to angry faces would show a greater reduction in their avoidance behavior (relative to control), as measured by how long they spoke for. It was further hypothesized that participants who received VBE to angry faces would show a reduction in their amount of negative thinking, as measured by the self- reported Thought Log. The results indicated that phobic participants who received VBE showed a greater reduction in their avoidance compared to those who received control exposure. These findings suggest that VBE is also effective in reducing phobic avoidance within individuals who fear public speaking. However, VBE did not reduce the amount of negative thinking participants experienced while engaging in the BAT.