Keep Your Eye on the Target: Safety Behavior Reduces Targeted Threat Beliefs Following a Behavioral Experiment

This study examined the effect of safety behavior on belief change during a behavioral experiment. Highly spider fearful participants (N = 126) evaluated a targeted negative belief about spiders during a brief behavioral experiment with a live tarantula. Participants were randomly assigned either to use or not use safety gear during the session. Results demonstrated that after the behavioral experiment, targeted negative beliefs were …