Related Experiment Videos
How to remain neutral: an experimental analysis of neutralization
S Rachman1, R Shafran, D Mitchell
1Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Behaviour Research and Therapy
|November 1, 1996
Summary
Neutralizing obsessive thoughts reduces anxiety, similar to overt compulsions. Delaying neutralization allows anxiety and urges to naturally decrease over time, offering therapeutic insights.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Background:
- Obsessive-compulsive problems often involve covert neutralizing behaviors.
- Neutralization aims to reduce or cancel the impact of obsessions.
- Covert neutralization is challenging to study experimentally.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that neutralization resembles overt compulsions.
- To investigate if neutralization reduces anxiety evoked by unacceptable thoughts.
- To examine if delaying neutralization leads to natural decay of anxiety and urges.
Main Methods:
- 63 participants with thought-action fusion bias were recruited.
- Participants wrote anxiety-evoking sentences and their responses were measured.
- Intervention involved immediate neutralization or a 20-minute delay, with subsequent re-assessment.
Main Results:
- Neutralization effectively reduced anxiety, supporting the hypothesis.
- Delayed neutralization (20 minutes) showed comparable anxiety reduction to immediate neutralization.
- Anxiety and urge to neutralize decayed naturally during the delay period.
Conclusions:
- Neutralization behaviors share characteristics with overt compulsions in obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- The findings support the experimental study of covert phenomena like neutralization.
- The study offers potential clinical implications for treating obsessive-compulsive problems.