The use of the anxiety meter to reduce anxiety.
A number scale plus breathing can launch self-management, but add visuals or reinforcement if you want real drops in anxiety.
01Research in Context
What this study did
One adult with panic and agoraphobia learned to use a pocket-sized 'Anxiety Meter.'
The meter was simply a card with a 0-10 scale. The client rated feelings every few minutes.
No data were collected. The paper only describes how the tool might work.
What they found
The article gives no numbers. It only shows the client saying numbers out loud and breathing slower.
The idea is that saying a number out loud makes anxiety 'real' and easier to control.
How this fits with other research
Wolitzky-Taylor et al. (2022) ran an RCT and got big drops in worry with a cousin idea: schedule a 15-minute 'rumination time.' Like the meter, clients self-manage anxiety by choosing when to feel it.
Taylor et al. (2017) went further. They added picture cards, rewards, and coping steps for kids with ASD and IDD. All three children cut anxiety and problem behavior to near zero. The meter idea works, but only when you bolt on extra supports.
Phillips et al. (2019) tested breathing alone for escape-driven aggression. It helped only one of three kids. The other two needed rewards and extinction. Same warning: a simple self-tool is rarely enough.
Why it matters
The meter is a quick teaching aid you can draw on an index card. Use it to start self-monitoring, then layer in coping steps, visuals, or reinforcement like Taylor et al. (2017) did. If the client stalls, add DRO or FCT before you blame the tool.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The use of the Anxiety Meter (AM) is taught to clients to reduce anxiety. At first the AM is used as part of the self-control triad. It is then used alone to reduce anxiety. A rationale for the use of the AM is presented together with a description of the procedure. The AM is a self-control strategy for use in treating agoraphobia and panic reaction. A case example is also presented.
Behavior modification, 1994 · doi:10.1177/01454455940183004