An online spider game: Overcome your fear, exposure is near
Spider-fearful people tend to avoid spiders, resulting in maintaining their phobia. However, some people can overcome their fear and approach spiders. This approach might be key in the reduction of fear and avoidance behaviour. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of approach-avoidance be...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Computers in Human Behavior Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958822000355 |
| _version_ | 1818213352091942912 |
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| author | Pauline Dibbets Koen Schruers |
| author_facet | Pauline Dibbets Koen Schruers |
| author_sort | Pauline Dibbets |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Spider-fearful people tend to avoid spiders, resulting in maintaining their phobia. However, some people can overcome their fear and approach spiders. This approach might be key in the reduction of fear and avoidance behaviour. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of approach-avoidance behaviour on (changes in) spider fear and avoidance. Participants (n = 122) with varying levels of spider fear played the online “collect the coins” game. In this game, participants had to collect 100 coins by clicking on different symbols. One symbol always resulted in one coin (safe option); another symbol mostly resulted in a large reward (3 coins), but sometimes in a spider (risky option). Participants rated the digital spider on evoked fear, disgust, and distress. Spider fear was measured with the fear of spiders questionnaire (FSQ). Avoidance was measured via symbol selection, self-reported avoidance, and a digital behavioural avoidance test, dBAT. Higher FSQ scores correlated with more self-reported spider-fear, -distress and -disgust, and larger dBAT-distances. Additionally, higher FSQ scores correlated with less risky- and more safe-selections. Importantly, more risky selections resulted in a stronger decrease in self-reported spider-fear and -disgust, whereas safe selections increased these emotions. Future studies are necessary to test if this link between approach-avoidance behaviour and emotional changes holds for spider phobics and real spiders. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T06:02:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-37f81dbf73064a0db81043799ba2ab49 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2451-9588 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T06:02:55Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Computers in Human Behavior Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-37f81dbf73064a0db81043799ba2ab492022-12-22T00:35:21ZengElsevierComputers in Human Behavior Reports2451-95882022-05-016100201An online spider game: Overcome your fear, exposure is nearPauline Dibbets0Koen Schruers1Clinical Psychological Science, Faulty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Corresponding author.School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Vijverdalseweg 1, 6224 GV, Maastricht, the NetherlandsSpider-fearful people tend to avoid spiders, resulting in maintaining their phobia. However, some people can overcome their fear and approach spiders. This approach might be key in the reduction of fear and avoidance behaviour. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of approach-avoidance behaviour on (changes in) spider fear and avoidance. Participants (n = 122) with varying levels of spider fear played the online “collect the coins” game. In this game, participants had to collect 100 coins by clicking on different symbols. One symbol always resulted in one coin (safe option); another symbol mostly resulted in a large reward (3 coins), but sometimes in a spider (risky option). Participants rated the digital spider on evoked fear, disgust, and distress. Spider fear was measured with the fear of spiders questionnaire (FSQ). Avoidance was measured via symbol selection, self-reported avoidance, and a digital behavioural avoidance test, dBAT. Higher FSQ scores correlated with more self-reported spider-fear, -distress and -disgust, and larger dBAT-distances. Additionally, higher FSQ scores correlated with less risky- and more safe-selections. Importantly, more risky selections resulted in a stronger decrease in self-reported spider-fear and -disgust, whereas safe selections increased these emotions. Future studies are necessary to test if this link between approach-avoidance behaviour and emotional changes holds for spider phobics and real spiders.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958822000355Spider fearAvoidanceExposureOnline gamingApproach-avoidance conflict |
| spellingShingle | Pauline Dibbets Koen Schruers An online spider game: Overcome your fear, exposure is near Computers in Human Behavior Reports Spider fear Avoidance Exposure Online gaming Approach-avoidance conflict |
| title | An online spider game: Overcome your fear, exposure is near |
| title_full | An online spider game: Overcome your fear, exposure is near |
| title_fullStr | An online spider game: Overcome your fear, exposure is near |
| title_full_unstemmed | An online spider game: Overcome your fear, exposure is near |
| title_short | An online spider game: Overcome your fear, exposure is near |
| title_sort | online spider game overcome your fear exposure is near |
| topic | Spider fear Avoidance Exposure Online gaming Approach-avoidance conflict |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958822000355 |
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