The desensitization derby: in vivo down the backstretch, imaginal at the wire?

Recontacted 17 Ss who had undergone successful imaginal or in vivo desensitization for snake phobia and had been evaluated pre- and posttreatment for a 9-month follow-up. Main findings were that: (a) overall treatment gains were maintained through the follow-up period; (b) differential gains in favor of the in vivo technique on one behavioral and two self-report snake-specific criteria were dissipated; and (c) imaginal Ss registered a reduction in self-rated fear during an approach task from posttesting to follow-up. Results are discussed in relation to the notion of cognitive rehearsal as a means of self-reinforcing treatment gains.