Anxiety Induced by Flooding Therapy for Phobias Does Not Elicit Prolactin Secretory Response*

Eight subjects with severe phobias to insects and small animals had blood samples taken for measurement of prolactin concentration at regular intervals during five sessions of 3 hr duration each. Severe anxiety was induced by treating the phobia with in vivo flooding during the middle hour of the third and fourth sessions. Despite intense anxiety experienced by the subjects, they showed no change in plasma prolactin levels.