A comparison of traditional and self-control desensitization.

Compared the effectiveness of counterconditioning and self-control models of systematic desensitization in reducing targeted and nontargeted anxieties using 25 female and 3 male undergraduates selected from a larger pool because of high scores on the Test Anxiety Scale. Both treatments were equally effective in reducing and maintaining reduction of the targeted anxiety, debilitating test anxiety. Test performance for the 2 groups, however, did not differ significantly from that of the control group. Self-control desensitization produced and maintained significantly greater anxiety reduction than controls on both measures of nontargeted anxieties. Traditional desensitization showed significant reduction and maintenance on one measure of nontargeted anxieties and was not significantly different from self-control desensitization on the other. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)