Date of Award

8-1996

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. C. Richard Spates

Second Advisor

Dr. Malcolm Robertson

Third Advisor

Dr. Lisa Baker

Fourth Advisor

Dr. Loren Crane

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to replicate the results of previous research with respect to EMD/R (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) and of this researcher’s investigation of EMD/R treatment of public-speaking anxiety (Foley & Spates, 1995). The present study, however, included components to permit more extensive analysis of the elements of treatment that contribute to therapeutic effectiveness. The study investigated the contribution of assessment speeches to treatment effectiveness by using a two factor design in which one factor featured a condition of pre-treatment/post-treatment speeches vs. a condition of post-treatment speeches only. The other factor featured two treatment conditions, permitting consideration of the contribution of the imaginal exposure component of EMD/R to treatment effectiveness. One treatment condition received EMD/R while the other condition received an alternative treatment that differed from EMD/R only in that there were no instructions to visualize the traumatic event during the eye movement component.

Subjects were 32 college students who suffered from communication anxiety and had experienced a specific traumatic event related to a communication situation. The research was carried out in a two factor repeated measures design consisting of four treatment groups: EMD/R-speech condition, EMD/R-no speech condition, Alternative treatment-speech condition, Alternative treatment-no speech condition.

Results showed a significant decrease from pre to post-treatment for all groups on several measures. There were no significant differences between groups; however, the results on one measure (CAI) suggest that if power were increased, the groups would differ significantly with respect to the pre treatment behavioral assessment factor.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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Psychology Commons

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