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Verbal Repetition in the Reappraisal of Contamination-Related Thoughts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2010

Chris Watson ,
Madelaine C. Burley  and
Christine Purdon
Chris Watson*
Affiliation:
University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
Madelaine C. Burley
Affiliation:
University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
Christine Purdon
Affiliation:
University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
*
Reprint requests to Chris Watson, McBride Psychological Services, 408 Queens Avenue, London, Ontario N6B 1X9, Canada. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Background: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy advocates use of cognitive defusion techniques to reduce the distress evoked by negative thoughts, including verbal repetition (VR). In VR, a negative word is repeated until its semantic meaning is diluted (i.e. until semantic satiation is achieved). The present two studies examined whether VR is more effective than brief imaginal exposure (IE) and no intervention (CONT) in the reappraisal of contamination-related thoughts. Method: Participants high in contamination fears identified their most distressing thoughts and were randomly assigned to VR, IE, or CONT. A category membership decision task was also conducted to determine if VR produced semantic satiation. Results: In Study 1, there was no evidence of semantic satiation. Significant reductions in negative response to the thoughts was observed immediately following VR, but not IE or CONT; however, at one-week follow-up, both VR and IE groups reported similar reductions. In Study 2, the effects of VR and IE practice between post-intervention and follow-up were examined, as well as changes in behavioural avoidance. VR was found to produce semantic satiation of contamination thoughts, and VR was associated with less negative response at follow-up relative to IE and CONT, but the degree of satiation was not associated with the decreases in negative response. Only IE produced decreases in behavioural avoidance and vigilance monitoring. Conclusions: Taken together, these results suggest that VR may have potential as an additional strategy for managing obsessional thoughts, but more research is warranted.

Keywords

ACTverbal repetitionimaginal ExposureOCD
Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 38 , Issue 3 , May 2010 , pp. 337 - 353
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2010

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