The effect of induced mood on fear reduction

The effect of mood on fear reduction was investigated in a laboratory study of fearful people. A musical mood-induction technique was utilized to induce either a happy mood or a sad mood in 84 female university students fearful of spiders or snakes. Following the mood induction, subjects' fears were reduced by participant modelling. Measures of subjective fear and self-efficacy were taken before and after mood induction, after modelling, and four weeks later. Compared to the induced sad-mood condition, induced happiness was followed by a decrease in subjective fear and greater self-efficacy. No difference was found in the length of time taken to reduce fear for happy and sad subjects. Fear reduction during a sad mood was associated with greater return of fear than fear reduction during a happy mood.