What you cannot see can help you: The effect of exposure to unreportable stimuli on approach behavior
Abstract
We examined effects of exposure to unreportable images of spiders on approach towards a tarantula. Pretests revealed awareness of the stimuli was at chance. Participants high or low (top and bottom 15%) on fear of spiders were randomly assigned to receive computer-generated exposure to unreportable pictures of spiders or outdoor scenes. They then engaged in a Behavioral Approach Task (BAT) with a live tarantula. Non-fearful participants completed more BAT items than spider-fearful individuals. Additionally, as predicted, a significant interaction (F(1,48)=5.12, p<.03) between fear of spiders and stimulus demonstrated that spider-fearful participants exposed to spiders completed more BAT items than spider-fearful participants exposed to control stimuli (but not as many as non-fearful participants). The findings support the hypothesis that exposure to unreportable feared stimuli promotes approach towards the feared object. Future research and clinical implications were discussed.
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Two studies without baseline avoidance control found moderate-to-large VBE effects on approach: N=64, d=.67 and N=51, d=.58.
“Two studies that did not control for baseline levels of avoidance of the tarantula yielded similarly moderate-to-large effect sizes for VBE-induced approach towards it: N=64, d=.67 (Siegel & Weinberger, Experiment 2, 2009) and N=51, d=.58 (Weinberger et al., 2011).”
From Advancing the treatment of anxiety disorders in transition‐age youth: a review of the therapeutic effects of unconscious exposure. (2025) · cites this paper as Weinberger et al., 2011
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- Authors
- Weinberger, J., Siegel, P., Siefert, C., & Drwal, J.
- Affiliations
- Adelphi University (US)
- Purchase College (US)
- University of Michigan–Dearborn (US)
- Venue
- Consciousness and Cognition
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-06
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 173-180
- ISSN
- 1053-8100 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2070823247
- Cited by
- 20
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2024: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 3.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Consciousness and Cognition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Keywords
- spider phobia, approach behavior, exposure therapy, stimulus awareness, fear extinction, tarantulas, phobia treatment
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Awareness, Fear, Female, Humans, Implosive Therapy, Male, Phobic Disorders, Photic Stimulation, Spiders, Subliminal Stimulation, Visual Perception, Young Adult
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