Effects of images about fear and disgust upon responses to blood-injury phobic stimuli

The effects of images concerning pain and nausea during exposure to a blood-injury stimulus were examined. Forty-seven subjects were given the Flood-Injection Symptom Scale (Page, Bennett, Carter, & Woodmore, 1997) to assess the effects of images upon fear and faintness elicited by a blood-injury stimulus. Subjects were exposed to a blood-injury phobic slide for 12 trials (four blocks of 3) and listened to narratives designed to elicit images associated with fear, disgust, or anger. Reductions in both fear and faintness occurred in every condition. However, images of fear increased symptoms of both fear and faintness relative to a control. Images of disgust increased symptoms of faintness but not fear. The implications for treatment design and understanding treatment failure are discussed.