Abstract
Fear of insects, mainly spiders, is considered one of the most common insect phobias. However, to date, no conducted studies have examined the effects of phobic stimulus exposure (spiders/ants) within the positive context of superhero movies, such as Spider-Man or Ant-Man. A convenience sample of 424 participants divided into four groups watched different clips. Two intervention groups (Spider-Man/Ant-Man) and two control groups (Marvel opening/natural scene) were measured twice (pre–post intervention). The measures comprised an online survey assessing socio-demographic variables, familiarity with superhero movies and comics, and phobic symptoms. Reduction in phobic symptoms was significant in the Spider-Man and Ant-Man groups in comparison to the control groups. Seven-second exposure to insect-specific stimuli within a positive context reduces the level of phobic symptoms. Incorporating exposure to short scenes from superhero movies within a therapeutic protocol for such phobias may have the potential to be robustly efficacious and enhance cooperation and motivation.
Highlights
Since the beginning of the new millennium, along with the increased popularity of the internet and the rise of “geek culture” as part of a new technological era, superhero movies based on Marvel comics have become widely popular and have been integrated as part of mainstream culture
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), where exposure is central, is the leading therapy for specific phobias, especially those related to insects [1]
The results suggest that exposure to insect-specific stimuli within the positive, fantasy context of Spider-Man and Ant-Man reduces the level of phobic symptoms, despite being an in vitro exposure for a very short time duration of 7 s
Summary
Since the beginning of the new millennium, along with the increased popularity of the internet and the rise of “geek culture” as part of a new technological era, superhero movies based on Marvel comics have become widely popular and have been integrated as part of mainstream culture. This phenomenon has undergone another boost, making it a worldwide phenomenon with the introduction of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). CBT may employ gradual exposure to phobic stimuli by introducing them in non-aversive and different contexts [2] Such exposure does not typically include a positive context. Based on the underlying tenets of CBT exposure, we hypothesized that exposure to scenes depicting spiders/
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