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Related Experiment Videos

Paradoxical intention and recursive anxiety.

L M Ascher1, D E Schotte

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA.

Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
|September 17, 1999
PubMed
Summary
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Recursive anxiety, a fear of fear, impacts public speaking phobia treatment. Paradoxical intention therapy is more effective for those with recursive anxiety, but not for simple phobia cases.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Background:

  • Public speaking phobia is a common social anxiety disorder.
  • Recursive anxiety, or fear of fear, can complicate treatment outcomes.
  • Paradoxical intention is a therapeutic technique involving intentionally provoking the feared behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between recursive anxiety and the efficacy of paradoxical intention in treating public speaking phobia.
  • To determine if paradoxical intention is differentially effective based on the presence or absence of recursive anxiety.

Main Methods:

  • A 2x2 factorial design was used to compare treatment outcomes.
  • Participants with public speaking concerns were divided into groups with and without significant recursive anxiety.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Both groups received a standard in vivo exposure treatment, with or without the inclusion of paradoxical intention.

    • Main Results:

    • Individuals with public speaking anxiety complicated by recursive anxiety showed greater improvement when paradoxical intention was included in their treatment.
    • Conversely, individuals with simple public speaking phobia (without recursive anxiety) experienced better outcomes when paradoxical intention was excluded from treatment.
    • Wegner's "ironic" cognitive processing theory was proposed to explain these differential effects.

    Conclusions:

    • The effectiveness of paradoxical intention in treating public speaking phobia is contingent on the presence of recursive anxiety.
    • Tailoring treatment strategies, specifically the inclusion or exclusion of paradoxical intention, to the individual's clinical profile (i.e., presence/absence of recursive anxiety) is crucial for optimal outcomes.
    • Findings suggest that paradoxical intention may exacerbate simple phobias while aiding complex, fear-of-fear-driven phobias.