Abstract
Recent research indicates that return of fear occurs when spider-fearful individuals are confronted with the phobic stimulus in a context different than the one used during exposure therapy (Mineka, Mystkowski, Hladek, & Rodriguez, 1999; Rodriguez, Craske, Mineka, & Hladek, 1999). However, limitations regarding fear measurement, lack of real-world context manipulations and statistical power suggest that further investigation is warranted. With these concerns in mind, 46 spider-fearful individuals received a 1-session exposure-based therapy in one of two contexts, and were followed-up 1 week later for fear assessment in the treatment context, as well as in a new context, in a counterbalanced order. Self-report data confirmed the hypothesis that return of fear will appear when individuals are tested for fear in a context different than the treatment context. In addition, changes in perceptions of safety, danger, control, and predictability did not mediate and/or moderate a contextually based return of fear. Limitations of the current study and directions for future study are discussed.
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