Systematic desensitization in an experimental setting: A follow-up study

A follow-up study was done of female college student volunteers who had been treated for marked fear of snakes using systematic desensitization under four experimental conditions. In the original study four groups were differentiated on the basis of: (1) therapeutic instructions and praise; (2) therapeutic instructions alone; (3) praise alone; and (4) neither therapeutic instructions nor praise. At follow-up Ss were reassessed on a behavioral test of their ability to approach and handle a snake, and were interviewed to determine whether they had discerned the conditions of the original experiment.

Twenty-five of the original thirty-two Ss (78 per cent) were assessed a mean of 9.5 months after their experimental post-test. All four groups maintained their original gains and the inter-relationships of the groups remained stable: only instructions had a statistically significant added effect over systematic desensitization; the reinforcement and interaction factors did not attain statistical significance. From the interview data it could not be demonstrated that Ss were aware of either the instructional or reinforcement conditions of their respective groups.