Wells, S., Polglase, K., Andrews, H.B., Carrington, P., Baker, A.H. · Journal of Clinical Psychology · 2003
35 participants were randomly assigned to a single 30-minute session of EFT (n=18) or diaphragmatic breathing (n=17); EFT produced significantly greater improvement than diaphragmatic breathing on the behavioral approach test and on three self-report measures, though not on pulse rate, with gains maintained (and possibly enhanced) at 6-9 month follow-up.
Picture someone whose fear of spiders or rodents has quietly shrunk their world — avoiding certain rooms, certain outdoor spaces, certain jobs. If a single 30-minute tapping session continues to outperform breathing exercises for specific phobias, and the effect really does hold or grow months later, it could offer people a fast, one-time intervention they're taught once and can then apply to themselves whenever the fear arises, unlike a fear that might otherwise take many paid sessions of exposure therapy to address.
Pulse rate didn't move here even as fear ratings and approach behavior clearly did, which is itself worth chasing — testing other physiological channels, like skin conductance, cortisol, or amygdala reactivity on fMRI during exposure to the feared animal, could reveal where in the body this fear reduction is actually showing up if not in simple heart rate. Testing whether combining tapping with brief real-world exposure produces faster or more durable relief than either alone would also be a natural next step.
| Design | Randomized trial |
|---|---|
| Participants | 35 people |
| Population | adults with a diagnosable specific phobia of small animals (e.g. spiders, rats), recruited for a laboratory study |
| Comparison group | diaphragmatic breathing |
| Effect size | Cohen's d (EFT vs diaphragmatic breathing) = 1.64 (95% CI 0.48–2.8) — on phobia symptoms |
| Outcome measures | behavioral approach test, self-report fear ratings, pulse rate |
| Journal | Journal of Clinical Psychology |
| Year | 2003 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Method | EFT / tapping |
| Publication type | Study / trial |
| Verification | ✓ Confirmed against the primary source |
Wells, S., Polglase, K., Andrews, H.B., Carrington, P., & Baker, A.H. (2003). Evaluation of a meridian-based intervention, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), for reducing specific phobias of small animals. Journal of Clinical Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.10189
This record is part of the Tapping Evidence Base — an openly-sourced, fully-referenced directory of the research on EFT/tapping. Explore more studies on Phobias
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