Rational-emotive therapy, placebo, and no-treatment effects on public-speaking anxiety.

In a partial replication and refinement of an earlier study by the authors, 33 undergraduates reporting high levels of public-speaking anxiety received rational-emotive therapy (RET), attention placebo (AP), or no treatment (NT). Primary analyses of pre- to posttherapy changes as assessed with a variety of self-report and observational measures tended to support the conclusion that RET is more effective than either NT or the AP treatment used (relaxation training). Secondary analyses which included AP and NT Ss, who received RET immediately after serving in the AP and NT conditions, further support RET treatment effects. (32 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)