Effectiveness of Association Splitting in Reducing Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts in a Nonclinical Sample

• Published in: Behavioural and cognitive psychotherapy Vol. 41; no. 4; pp. 433 - 440
• Main Authors: Rodríguez-Martín, Boris C., Moritz, Steffen, Molerio-Pérez, Osana, Gil-Pérez, Patricia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.07.2013
• Subjects: Adult; Association; Attention; Awareness; Behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Therapy - methods; Cuba; Female; Humans; Imagination; Intervention; Male; Manuals as Topic; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neuroses; Obsessive compulsive disorder; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - diagnosis; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - psychology; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - therapy; Paired-Associate Learning; Performance evaluation; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Self Care - psychology; Self help; Thinking; Treatment Outcome; Treatments; Cuba; White Bear Suppression Inventory; thoughts suppression; association splitting; Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts; Human; Thought suppression; Questionnaire; Healthy subject; Intrusive thought; Psychometrics; Cognition
• ISSN: 1352-4658; 1469-1833; 1469-1833
• DOI: 10.1017/S1352465812000513

Background: Association Splitting (AS) is a novel cognitive technique, which has shown some promise for the reduction of obsessive thoughts in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Its effect on unwanted intrusive thoughts (UITs) in the general population is yet unknown. Method: Our experimental study tested the effect of AS in 49 participants who reported UITs as a regular problem. Participants were randomly allocated either to an AS versus waitlist control (WL) condition. The White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI) was used for measuring changes over time. Results: Significant group differences were found across time. Relative to WL, AS exerted a positive effect on the reduction of UITs yielding a large effect size. According to self-report AS exerted a positive effect 6 days after the participants had initiated the exercises. All subjects in the AS condition judged the technique as effective Conclusion: Results suggest that AS could be a suitable intervention to help people with a potential vulnerability to a clinical problem to control their UITs.