The DOI matches its Crossref record; 46 of the 46 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
How does EMDR work?
Abstract
Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective treatment for alleviating trauma symptoms, and the positive effects of this treatment have been scientifically confirmed under well-controlled conditions. This has provided an opportunity to explore how EMDR works. The present paper reports on the findings of a long series of experiments that disproved the hypothesis that eye movements or other ‘dual tasks’ are unnecessary. These experiments also disproved the idea that ‘bilateral stimulation’ is needed; moving the eyes up and down produces the same effect as horizontal eye movement, and so do tasks that require no eye movement at all. However, it is important that the dual task taxes working memory. Several predictions can be derived from the working memory explanation for eye movements in EMDR. These seem to hold up extremely well in critical experimental tests, and create a solid explanation on how eye movements work. This paper discusses the implications that this theory and the empirical findings may have for the EMDR technique.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“These experiments have demonstrated that the efficacy of such techniques can be explained in the context of working memory theory, whereby eye-movements occupy limited cognitive resources during memory retrieval, resulting in the storage of less vivid/emotional memory representations (see Van den Hout & Engelhard, 2012 for an overview).”
From Intrusive memories of trauma: A target for research bridging cognitive science and its clinical application (2019) · cites this paper as Van den Hout & Engelhard, 2012
In the citing paper
“What these have in common is that the treatment targets problematic aspects of the trauma memory, whether by techniques such as exposure (Foa & Kozak, 1986), restructuring (Ehlers & Clark, 2000), or dual-task interference (Van den Hout & Engelhard, 2012).”
From Intrusive memories of trauma: A target for research bridging cognitive science and its clinical application (2019) · cites this paper as Van den Hout & Engelhard, 2012
Citations
Cites
Human memory : theory and practice
Baddeley, A. (1990) · Cited by 3,045
A Multidimensional Meta-Analysis of Psychotherapy for PTSD
Bradley, R., Greene, J., Russ, E., Dutra, L., & Westen, D. (2005) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.162.2.214 · Cited by 1,938
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures
Shapiro, F. (1995) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 1,529
Brewin, C. R., Gregory, J. D., Lipton, M., & Burgess, N. (2010) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/a0018113 · Cited by 1,226
Mental imagery in emotion and emotional disorders
Holmes, E. A., & Mathews, A. (2010) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2010.01.001 · Cited by 976
Bisson, J. I., Ehlers, A., Matthews, R., Pilling, S., Richards, D., & Turner, S. (2007) · British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.106.021402 · Cited by 900
Clinical Handbook of Psychological Disorders: A Step-by-Step Treatment Manual
Barnaby, B. (2015) · Occupational Medicine · doi:10.1093/occmed/kqv128 · Cited by 813
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures
Lohr, J. (1996) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/s0005-7967(96)90013-3 · Cited by 759
Seidler, G. H., & Wagner, F. E. (2006) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291706007963 · Cited by 474
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): A meta-analysis.
Davidson, P. R., & Parker, K. C. H. (2001) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037//0022-006x.69.2.305 · Cited by 424
Andrade, J., Kavanagh, D., & Baddeley, A. (1997) · British Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.2044-8260.1997.tb01408.x · Cited by 407
Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry
(1976) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-021148-0.50045-1 · Cited by 401
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy as a treatment for chronic depression: A preliminary study
Barnhofer, T., Crane, C., Hargus, E., Amarasinghe, M., Winder, R., & Williams, J. M. G. (2009) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2009.01.019 · Cited by 396
A meta-analysis of the contribution of eye movements in processing emotional memories
Lee, C. W., & Cuijpers, P. J. (2012) · Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2012.11.001 · Cited by 371
Imagination inflation for action events: Repeated imaginings lead to illusory recollections
Goff, L. M., & Roediger, H. L., III (1998) · Memory & Cognition · doi:10.3758/bf03211367 · Cited by 363
How eye movements affect unpleasant memories: Support for a working-memory account
Gunter, R. W., & Bodner, G. E. (2008) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2008.04.006 · Cited by 362
Mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy for residual depressive symptoms
Kingston, T., Dooley, B. A., Bates, A., Lawlor, E., & Malone, K. M. (2006) · Psychology and Psychotherapy Theory Research and Practice · doi:10.1348/147608306x116016 · Cited by 302
Autobiographical memories become less vivid and emotional after eye movements
van den Hout, M., Muris, P., Salemink, E., & Kindt, M. (2001) · British Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1348/014466501163571 · Cited by 274
Effects of visuospatial tasks on desensitization to emotive memories
Kavanagh, D. J., Freese, S., Andrade, J., & May, J. (2001) · British Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1348/014466501163689 · Cited by 227
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy: evaluating current evidence and informing future research
Coelho, H. F., Canter, P. H., & Ernst, E. (2007) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-006x.75.6.1000 · Cited by 227
Herbert, J. (2000) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/s0272-7358(99)00017-3 · Cited by 210 · cited 3×
“, Herbert et al., 2000; Muris & Merckelbach, 1999). This scepticism does not seem inappropriate. As Carl Sagan (2008) famously said: ‘extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence’.”
BackgroundMethodBarrowcliff, A. L., Gray, N. S., Freeman, T. C., & MacCulloch, M. J. (2004) · Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology · doi:10.1080/14789940410001673042 · Cited by 189
When the present visits the past: Updating traumatic memories in social phobia
Wild, J., Hackmann, A., & Clark, D. M. (2007) · Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2007.07.003 · Cited by 177
A Working Memory Explanation for the Effects of Eye Movements in EMDR
Maxfield, L., Melnyk, W. T., & Hayman, G. (2008) · Journal of EMDR Practice and Research · doi:10.1891/1933-3196.2.4.247 · Cited by 175
The impact of taxing working memory on negative and positive memories
Engelhard, I. M., van Uijen, S. L., & van den Hout, M. (2010) · European Journal of Psychotraumatology · doi:10.3402/ejpt.v1i0.5623 · Cited by 173
Self-citationvan den Hout, M., Engelhard, I. M., Rijkeboer, M. M., Koekebakker, J., Hornsveld, H. K., Leer, A., Toffolo, M. B. J., & Akse, N. (2010) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2010.11.003 · Cited by 171
Self-citationEye movements reduce vividness and emotionality of “flashforwards”
Engelhard, I. M., van den Hout, M. A., Janssen, W. C., & van der Beek, J. (2010) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2010.01.003 · Cited by 142 · cited 3×
“These tasks included 1) auditory shadowing (Gunter & Bodner, 2008); 2) copying a complex figure (Gunter & Bodner, 2008); 3) playing the computer game Tetris (Engelhard et al., 2010); 4) mental arithmetic (Van den Hout et al., 2010; Engelhard, Van den Hout & Smeets, 2011); 5) calculating out loud (Kemps & Tiggemann, 20…”
BackgroundSelf-citationEngelhard, I. M., van den Hout, M., & Smeets, M. A. M. (2010) · Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2010.09.004 · Cited by 141
Self-citationImagery Rescripting for Personality Disorders
Arntz, A. R. (2011) · Cognitive and Behavioral Practice · doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2011.04.006 · Cited by 141
Kemps, E., & Tiggemann, M. (2007) · Memory · doi:10.1080/09658210701262017 · Cited by 117
van den Hout, M., Engelhard, I. M., Smeets, M. A. M., Hornsveld, H. K., Hoogeveen, E., de Heer, E., Toffolo, M. B. J., & Rijkeboer, M. M. (2010) · Applied Cognitive Psychology · doi:10.1002/acp.1677 · Cited by 114
Self-citationvan den Hout, M., Bartelski, N., & Engelhard, I. M. (2012) · Cognition & Emotion · doi:10.1080/02699931.2012.691087 · Cited by 109
Self-citationEngelhard, I. M., van den Hout, M. A., Dek, E. C. P., Giele, C. L., van der Wielen, J.-W., Reijnen, M. J., & van Roij, B. (2011) · Journal of Anxiety Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2011.01.009 · Cited by 104
Self-citationvan den Hout, M., Engelhard, I. M., Beetsma, D. J. V., Slofstra, C., Hornsveld, H. K., Houtveen, J. H., & Leer, A. (2011) · Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2011.03.004 · Cited by 103
Self-citationMcNally, R. J. (1999) · Journal of Anxiety Disorders · doi:10.1016/s0887-6185(98)00049-8 · Cited by 101
Tones inferior to eye movements in the EMDR treatment of PTSD
van den Hout, M., Rijkeboer, M. M., Engelhard, I. M., Klugkist, I. G., Hornsveld, H. K., Toffolo, M. B. J., & Cath, D. C. (2012) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2012.02.001 · Cited by 78
Self-citationImagery Rescripting in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Hackmann, A. (2011) · Cognitive and Behavioral Practice · doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2010.06.006 · Cited by 76
Korrelboom, K., de Jong, M., Huijbrechts, I., & Daansen, P. (2009) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0016742 · Cited by 65
Ricci, R. J., Clayton, C. A., & Shapiro, F. (2006) · Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology · doi:10.1080/14789940601070431 · Cited by 64
Traumatic memories, eye movements, phobia, and panic: a critical note on the proliferation of EMDR.
Muris, P., & Merckelbach, H. (1999) · Journal of Anxiety Disorders · doi:10.1016/s0887-6185(98)00048-6 · Cited by 41
Hornsveld, H. K., Houtveen, J. H., Vroomen, M., Kapteijn, I., Aalbers, D., & van den Hout, M. (2011) · Journal of EMDR Practice and Research · doi:10.1891/1933-3196.5.4.146 · Cited by 40
Considering Mechanisms of Action in EMDR
Maxfield, L. (2008) · Journal of EMDR Practice and Research · doi:10.1891/1933-3196.2.4.234 · Cited by 37
Choking under Pressure: Degrading Flashforwards Related to Performance Anxiety
Engelhard, I. M., Sijbrandij, M., van den Hout, M. A., Rutherford, N. M., Rahim, H. F., & Kocak, F. (2012) · Journal of Experimental Psychopathology · doi:10.5127/jep.024111 · Cited by 31
Self-citationHornsveld, H. K., Landwehr, F., Stein, W., Stomp, M. P. H., Smeets, M. A. M., & van den Hout, M. (2010) · Journal of EMDR Practice and Research · doi:10.1891/1933-3196.4.3.106 · Cited by 31
MacCulloch, M. J. (2006) · Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology · doi:10.1080/14789940601075760 · Cited by 10
McNally, R. J. (2008) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291708003048 · Cited by 5
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Sagan C., 2008, TV-series Cosmos, episode XII Encyclopedia galactica (originally shown in 1980).
Cited by
Sorted by citations
James, E. L., Bonsall, M. B., Hoppitt, L., Tunbridge, E. M., Geddes, J. R., Milton, A. L., & Holmes, E. A. (2015) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0956797615583071 · Cited by 333
Iyadurai, L., Blackwell, S. E., Meiser-Stedman, R., Watson, P. C., Bonsall, M. B., Geddes, J. R., Nobre, A. C., & Holmes, E. A. (2018) · Molecular Psychiatry · doi:10.1038/mp.2017.23 · Cited by 266
Iyadurai, L., Visser, R. M., Lau-Zhu, A., Porcheret, K., Horsch, A., Holmes, E. A., & James, E. L. (2019) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2018.08.005 · Cited by 256
Emotional Mental Imagery as Simulation of Reality: Fear and Beyond—A Tribute to Peter Lang
Ji, J. L., Heyes, S. B., MacLeod, C., & Holmes, E. A. (2016) · Behavior Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.beth.2015.11.004 · Cited by 234
Acarturk, C., Konuk, E., Cetinkaya, M., Senay, I., Sijbrandij, M., Gulen, B., & Cuijpers, P. (2016) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291716001070 · Cited by 165
Metadata
- Authors
- van den Hout, M. A., & Engelhard, I. M.
- Affiliations
- Clinical and Health Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
- Utrecht University (NL)
- ORCID
- Engelhard, Iris M.
- Venue
- Journal of Experimental Psychopathology
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2012-12
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 724-738
- ISSN
- 2043-8087 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2142320849
- Semantic Scholar
- fd258a7e6c723c18d012bf7fef275199e4479b5b
- Cited by
- 247
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2026: 27 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 4
- FWCI
- 8.71
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Experimental Psychopathology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Keywords
- EMDR, working memory, dual-task interference, eye movements, bilateral stimulation, trauma symptoms, horizontal eye movements
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
