Exposure With Acceptance-Based Versus Habituation-Based Rationale for Public Speaking Anxiety

The purpose of this study is to compare two exposure-based behavioral group treatments for public speaking anxiety. Specifically, exposure within the context of psychological acceptance will be compared to exposure within a standard habituation context. It is hypothesized that participants receiving exposure within the context of psychological acceptance will experience a greater decrease in anxiety and greater improvement in quality of life compared to the habituation-based group.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Public Speaking; Social Fear
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Exposure w/ Acceptance-Based Rationale; Behavioral: Exposure w/ Habituation-Based Rationale

Detailed Description

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a potentially debilitating condition affecting approximately 12% of the population at some point in their life (Ruscio et al., 2008). Nongeneralized SAD refers to individuals whose fears are limited to one or two social situations, most commonly public speaking. Empirically supported treatments for public speaking anxiety generally include an exposure component involving participation in anxiety-provoking public speaking situations (usually simulated situations using an audience of confederates and/or fellow participants, as well as actual public speaking situations in the community). Exposure is often presented within the context of habituation, but cognitively- based therapies utilize a rationale for exposure based on cognitive restructuring and belief modification. Research investigating the incremental benefit of adding other treatment components to exposure has yielded mixed results; however, there is preliminary evidence that the context in which exposure is presented can have an impact on treatment outcome. Recently, acceptance-based therapies have begun to frame exposure as an opportunity to increase one's willingness to experience anxiety while engaging in valued behaviors, rather than as a vehicle for modifying maladaptive cognitions and reducing anxiety. However, little research has been conducted on the efficacy of acceptance-based therapies for public speaking anxiety, and no component control studies have examined the utility of an acceptance/cognitive defusion rationale and context for exposure for public speaking anxiety. The present study will compare two exposure-based treatments for public speaking anxiety in a clinical sample. Specifically, exposure within an acceptance/defusion context will be compared to exposure with a habituation-based rationale.

Hypotheses:

1. Participants receiving exposure within an acceptance/defusion context will experience a greater reduction in anxiety and behavioral avoidance, and greater improvement in measures of quality of life, compared to participants receiving exposure within a habituation rationale, at post-treatment.
2. Acceptance, defusion, and mindfulness will mediate treatment outcome. Specifically, greater changes on measures of these three constructs will account for a significant portion of the effect of treatment condition on the dependent variables.
3. Lower baseline levels of public speaking anxiety and overall anxiety will be associated with higher baseline quality of life, mindfulness, acceptance, defusion, and social skills.
4. Baseline levels of acceptance, defusion, and mindfulness will predict overall treatment response, regardless of intervention condition.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 45
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19102
      • Drexel University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Clinically diagnosable public speaking anxiety (per DSM-IV-TR criteria for nongeneralized social anxiety disorder)
• Aged 18-65
• Residence in the greater Philadelphia area

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pervasive developmental disability
• Acute suicide potential
• Inability to travel to the treatment site

• Certain comorbid Axis I diagnoses, namely:

  • generalized SAD
  • schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder
  • current substance dependence
• Comorbid diagnoses of Major Depressive or other mood or anxiety disorders are acceptable ONLY if clearly secondary to the diagnosis of public speaking anxiety

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Exposure w/ Acceptance-Based Rationale; Behavioral exposure within the context of psychological acceptance.	Behavioral: Exposure w/ Acceptance-Based Rationale; Treatment focuses on the ineffectiveness of participants' past attempts to control or reduce their anxiety in public speaking situations. Acceptance of one's private experiences (thoughts, feelings, sensations) will be introduced. "Willingness" to experience unwanted thoughts and feelings while simultaneously engaging in valued activities, especially those related to public speaking, is stressed. Techniques designed to foster psychological acceptance are practiced prior to and during exposure exercises, as well as assigned for homework between sessions.
Active Comparator: Exposure w/ Habituation-Based Rationale; Behavioral exposure within the context of habituation.	Behavioral: Exposure w/ Habituation-Based Rationale; Exposure to feared public speaking situations are accompanied by explanations of behavioral principles, including classical/operant conditioning and habituation. The process of associating public speaking situations with unwanted feelings of anxiety will be discussed, as well as negative reinforcement of escape and avoidance behaviors. The underlying principle of habituation is reviewed. When engaging in exposure exercises (both in session and assigned homework exercises), participants will be encouraged to remain in the feared speaking situation until their subjective ratings of anxiety decrease.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of Participants in Remission (Per Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID))	The SCID (First, Spitzer, Gibbon, & Williams, 1996) is an extensively utilized structured diagnostic interview based on DSM-IV criteria. Estimates of interrater reliability range from moderate to high for most Axis I disorders (e.g., Williams et al., 1992; Zanarini & Frankenburg, 2001).	6-weeks post-treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Drexel University
• Investigators: Study Director: James D Herbert, Ph.D., Drexel University; Study Director: Evan M Forman, Ph.D., Drexel University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• England, E.L., Herbert, J.D., Forman, E.M., Rabin, S.J., Juarascio, A., & Goldstein, S. (2012). Acceptance-based exposure therapy for public speaking anxiety. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 1(1), 66-72.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: February 1, 2009
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 1, 2009
• Study Completion (Actual): November 1, 2009

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 11, 2009
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 11, 2009
• First Posted (Estimate): February 12, 2009

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): June 2, 2014
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 1, 2014
• Last Verified: May 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: DRX-17819