Comparing thought suppression and mindfulness as coping techniques for spider fear.
Nic Hooper, Nathan Davies, Laura Davies, Louise McHugh
Consciousness and Cognition December 2011 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2011.05.013 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Spider-fearful participants |
| Interventions | Thought suppression focused attention (mindfulness) unfocused attention |
| Measures | Behavioural Approach Test (BAT) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Participants given a thought suppression or unfocused attention induction completed significantly fewer steps of a 10-step Behavioural Approach Test than those given a focused attention (mindfulness) induction. The thought suppression group also felt significantly more anxious than the focused and unfocused attention groups after the test, which the authors discuss in terms of thought suppression's impact on avoidance behaviour in phobias. |
Abstract
The current study compared thought suppression, focused attention (mindfulness) and unfocused attention as strategies for managing spider fear. Spider fearful participants were exposed to a strategy induction before completing a Behavioural Approach Test (BAT). The BAT is a 10 step measurement of how close participants are willing to move towards a spider. Participants were instructed to use what they learned in the pre-BAT induction to help them advance through the steps of the BAT. The results of the study indicated that participants given the thought suppression or the unfocused attention induction moved through significantly less steps of the BAT than did those given the focused attention (mindful) induction. Additionally, the thought suppression group felt significantly more anxious than the focused and unfocused attention groups following completion of the BAT. These results are discussed in terms of the impact of thought suppression on avoidance behaviour in phobias.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Brief mindfulness training for negative affectivity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology June 25, 2018
- The Role of Mindfulness Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Pain. Current Pain and Headache Reports November 1, 2024
- Mindful control vs. mindful acceptance : an experimental evaluation of the acute impact of intentions guiding mindfulness practice on psychological and emotional experiences 2023
- Affective Responses to Acute Bouts of Aerobic Exercise, Mindfulness Meditation, and Combinations of Exercise and Meditation: A Randomized Controlled Intervention. Psychological Reports April 2019
- State Mindfulness During Meditation Predicts Enhanced Cognitive Reappraisal. Mindfulness April 1, 2015
Cites 3
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness‐based stress reduction and attentional control Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy November 1, 2007
- Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on medical and premedical students. Journal of Behavioral Medicine December 1998