Less is more: The effects of very brief versus clearly visible exposure.
Abstract
This study compared the effects of exposure to masked and unmasked phobic stimuli on phobic behavior. Participants were identified as spider-phobic with a questionnaire and a Behavioral Avoidance Test (BAT) with a live tarantula (N = 101). One week later, they were administered one of three types of exposure: very brief (25 ms) or clearly visible (120 ms) images of spiders, or very brief images of flowers. They reported ratings of subjective distress just before and after these exposures, and engaged in the BAT again thereafter. Two weeks later, 57 participants returned for a follow-up BAT. The results indicated a double dissociation between the effects of very brief and clearly visible exposure: the former reduced avoidance of the tarantula and did not affect distress, whereas the latter increased distress but did not affect avoidance. The behavioral effect lasted for two weeks. These findings suggest that avoidance of a feared object can be reduced without full conscious awareness. The theoretical implications are discussed.
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In two large-scale RCTs (N=205), VBE reduced tarantula avoidance significantly more than placebo (n=136; F(1,134)=11.3, p=.001, d=.58) and visible exposure (n=136; F(1,134)=21.8, p=.0001, d=.81), which did not reduce avoidance at all (F<1).
“In two large-scale RCTs that yielded these results (N=205; Siegel & Weinberger, 2012; Siegel, Cohen & Warren, 2022), VBE reduced avoidance of the tarantula in phobic participants significantly more than both placebo (n=136; F(1,134)=11.3, p=.001, d=.58) and visible exposure to the same spider images (n=136; F(1,134)=21.8, p=.0001, d=.81), which did not reduce avoidance at all (F<1).”
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 Siegel & Weinberger, 2012
VBE's fear-reducing effects endure with similar effect sizes at one month and one year later.
“they have been shown to endure with similar effect sizes when participants approached the tarantula again one month (Siegel & Weinberger, 2012) and one year later (Siegel & Warren, 2013b).”
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 Siegel & Weinberger, 2012
In three studies comparing unconscious and conscious exposure to the same phobic stimuli, unconscious exposure increased activation of vmPFC and frontostriatal circuits, did not induce autonomic arousal or subjective distress, and reduced avoidance of a live tarantula in participants with Specific Phobia.
“In three studies comparing unconscious and conscious exposure to the same phobic stimuli (Siegel & Weinberger, 2012; Siegel et al. 2017; Siegel, Cohen & Warren, 2021), unconscious exposure increased activation of vmPFC and frontostriatal circuits, did not induce autonomic arousal or subjective distress, and reduced avoidance of a live tarantula in participants with Specific Phobia.”
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 Siegel & Weinberger, 2012
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References 52 · Cited by 33
- Authors
- Siegel, P., & Weinberger, J.
- Affiliations
- Purchase College (US)
- Adelphi University (US)
- Venue
- Emotion
- Published
- 2012-04
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 394-402
- ISSN
- 1528-3542 (ISSN-L)
- 1931-1516
- OpenAlex
- W2074981435
- Cited by
- 33
- References
- 52
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 3.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Emotion (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- American Psychoanalytic Association
- 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 › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Keywords
- phobia, spider phobia, exposure therapy, short-term exposure, masked stimuli, conscious awareness, avoidance behavior, subjective distress, tarantulas, fear extinction, double dissociation
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Arousal, Avoidance Learning, Awareness, Fear, Female, Humans, Inhibition, Psychological, Male, Pattern Recognition, Visual, Perceptual Masking, Phobic Disorders, Reaction Time, Subliminal Stimulation, Young Adult
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