Is "Cootie" in the Eye of the Beholder? An Experimental Attempt to Modify Implicit Associations Tied to Contamination Fears.

To examine the causal link between implicit associations and fear reduction, a conditioning paradigm was used in an attempt to modify contamination-related implicit associations for individuals high in contamination fear. Individuals (N = 81) were assigned to a Positive, Neutral, or No Training condition. In the Positive training condition, individuals clicked on images of potential contaminants that were followed by images of the individual's smiling face or by an approach-related word. Positive training was hypothesized to result in decreased behavioral avoidance and emotional vulnerability ratings during subsequent behavioral avoidance tasks. In the Neutral training control condition, the images of potential contaminants were followed by an equal mix of the individual's smiling, disgusted, and fearful faces or an avoidance-related word. The No Training condition served as an additional control group. Contrary to expectations, training did not shift implicit associations, nor did it affect avoidance or emotional vulnerability ratings. These results raise questions about the most appropriate form and dosage of training for this population - we conclude with suggestions for researchers to learn from these null findings when developing new training programs.