School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, OttawaCanada.
Behav Cogn Psychother. 2020 Sep;48(5):557-571. doi: 10.1017/S135246582000017X. Epub 2020 Apr 17.
There is a debate among researchers and clinicians regarding whether the judicious use of safety behaviours (SBs) during exposure therapy is helpful or detrimental. Central to this debate is the premise that SBs may interfere with one's ability to gather disconfirmatory evidence.
No study to date has assessed how SB use may impact cognitive mechanisms implicated during an exposure-like task. We investigated multiple cognitive, emotional, psychophysiological and behavioural underpinnings of exposure with and without SBs.
Speech anxious participants (n = 111) were randomly assigned to deliver an evaluated speech with or without SBs. Self-reported anxiety ratings and psychophysiological arousal measures were recorded at baseline, in anticipation of the speech, and following the speech. Measures of working memory, ability to gather disconfirmatory evidence, speech duration, objective and subjective speech performance, and speech task acceptability were administered.
There were no differences between conditions on working memory, self-reported anxiety, psychophysiological arousal, ability to gather disconfirmatory evidence, speech duration, or objective and subjective speech performance. All participants were able to gather disconfirmatory evidence. However, condition did influence willingness to deliver future speeches. Our sample was largely female undergraduate students, and we offered only a small number of specific safety behaviours.
Judicious SB use may not necessarily be detrimental, but clients may believe them to be more helpful than they actually are.
在研究人员和临床医生中，对于在暴露疗法中明智地使用安全行为（SBs）是否有帮助还是有危害存在争议。这场争论的核心前提是，SBs 可能会干扰人们收集证伪证据的能力。
迄今为止，尚无研究评估 SB 的使用如何影响在类似暴露的任务中涉及的认知机制。我们调查了在使用和不使用 SBs 的情况下，多种认知、情绪、心理生理和行为基础。
随机分配有演讲焦虑的参与者（n = 111）在使用或不使用 SBs 的情况下进行评估演讲。在演讲前、演讲期间和演讲后记录自我报告的焦虑评分和心理生理唤醒测量值。还进行了工作记忆、收集证伪证据的能力、演讲持续时间、客观和主观演讲表现以及演讲任务可接受性的测量。
在工作记忆、自我报告的焦虑、心理生理唤醒、收集证伪证据的能力、演讲持续时间或客观和主观演讲表现方面，两种条件之间没有差异。所有参与者都能够收集证伪证据。然而，条件确实影响了未来演讲的意愿。我们的样本主要是女大学生，并且我们只提供了少量特定的安全行为。
明智地使用 SBs 不一定是有害的，但客户可能会认为它们比实际更有帮助。
