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A Comparison of Subliminal, Supraliminal and Faded Phobic Cine-Films in the Treatment of Agoraphobia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Ian Lee ,
Peter Tyrer  and
Sandra Horn
Ian Lee
Affiliation:
Electronic Facilities Design Ltd., Channing House, Reading, Berkshire
Peter Tyrer
Affiliation:
Mapperley Hospital, Porchester Road, Nottingham NG3 6AA
Sandra Horn
Affiliation:
Department of Academic Psychiatry, Royal South Hants Hospital, Graham Road, Southampton
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Summary

Thirty-two agoraphobic patients were randomly allocated to four groups and treated by repeated exposure to cine-films at twice weekly intervals for three weeks. Three of the groups saw the same cine-film, comprising a range of agoraphobic scenes, and a control group saw a potter working on his wheel. The three groups seeing the phobic cine-film included one who viewed it at an illumination level below the visual threshold (subliminal group), one seeing it under normal conditions (supraliminal group) and one which underwent graduated exposure from subliminal to supraliminal viewing levels as the study proceeded (faded group). The faded group showed significantly greater improvement than the control and supraliminal groups and this improvement was maintained over twelve weeks.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 143 , Issue 4 , October 1983 , pp. 356 - 361
Copyright
Copyright © 1983 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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