The question
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________ Are cognitive-behavioral treatments effective for anxiety? (7 points)
Study
Source 1: CBT for social anxiety disorder
Introduction
Researchers asked whether a 12-week course of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) reduces symptoms of social anxiety disorder.
Participants
80 adults ages 18 to 45 with social anxiety disorder, diagnosed by a clinician, were recruited through a university clinic in England. All gave written informed consent; those on the waitlist were offered CBT when the study ended.
Method
Participants were randomly assigned to 12 weekly CBT sessions (testing fearful thoughts and gradually facing feared social situations) or to a 12-week waitlist. Symptoms were measured before and after with a 24-item social anxiety scale (0 to 100; higher scores mean more severe symptoms).
Results
Mean scores fell from 62 to 38 in the CBT group and from 61 to 57 in the waitlist group. The difference between the groups after 12 weeks was statistically significant.
Discussion
CBT reduced social anxiety far more than waiting for treatment.
Invented study for practice.
Study
Source 2: CBT, medication and a placebo pill for panic disorder
Introduction
Researchers compared CBT with an antidepressant medication for panic disorder, during treatment and after it ended.
Participants
150 adults ages 20 to 60 with panic disorder were recruited at four US medical centers. All gave informed consent and could leave at any time; an institutional review board approved the study.
Method
Participants were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of CBT, an SSRI antidepressant, or a placebo pill. Neither the participants given pills nor the doctors knew who received the SSRI. A "responder" had at least a 50% drop in panic symptoms. Responders were followed for six months after treatment stopped to see who relapsed (had symptoms return).
Results
At 12 weeks, 58% of the CBT group, 56% of the SSRI group and 30% of the placebo group were responders. Six months after treatment ended, 12% of CBT responders and 35% of SSRI responders had relapsed.
Discussion
CBT and medication worked about equally well during treatment, but gains after CBT lasted longer.
Invented study for practice.
| Group | Responders at 12 weeks | Responders who relapsed by 6 months |
|---|---|---|
| CBT | 58% | 12% |
| SSRI | 56% | 35% |
| Placebo pill | 30% | not followed |
Study
Source 3: One-session exposure for children's dog phobia
Introduction
Researchers asked whether a single three-hour session of gradual exposure, a behavioral part of CBT, helps children with a specific phobia of dogs.
Participants
40 children ages 8 to 12 with a specific phobia of dogs were recruited through pediatric clinics in Sweden. Parents gave written consent and each child gave assent; children could stop the session whenever they wished.
Method
Children were randomly assigned to one three-hour session of gradual exposure with a calm, trained dog, or to a three-hour session of education about dogs with no contact. One week later, each child walked toward a calm, leashed dog; the researchers recorded whether the child could stand next to the dog for 30 seconds.
Results
14 of the 20 children (70%) in the exposure group stood next to the dog for 30 seconds, compared with 5 of the 20 (25%) in the education group.
Discussion
A single session of exposure helped most children approach the feared animal.
Invented study for practice.
(A) Propose a specific and defensible claim based in psychological science that responds to the question. [1 point]
(B(i)) Support your claim using at least one piece of specific and relevant evidence from one of the sources. [1 point]
(B(ii)) Explain how the evidence from B(i) supports your claim, using a psychological perspective, theory, concept or research finding learned in AP® Psychology. [2 points]
(C(i)) Support your claim using a different piece of specific and relevant evidence from another source. [1 point]
(C(ii)) Explain how the evidence from C(i) supports your claim, using a different psychological perspective, theory, concept or research finding from the one in B(ii). [2 points]