The Extinction and Return of Fear of Public Speaking.
Extinction cues alone won't keep public-speaking fear from returning—schedule follow-up exposures.
01Research in Context
What this study did
College students who feared public speaking got brief exposure therapy. They gave short speeches while researchers measured heart rate and self-rated fear.
After fear dropped, the team added 'extinction cues' like mental rehearsal or a calming breath-hold. They then tested if the fear stayed gone or crept back.
What they found
Exposure helped. Most students felt calmer and their heart rates slowed.
But a small, reliable return of fear showed up later. The added cues did not stop it.
How this fits with other research
Pear et al. (1984) looks like a contradiction. They used breath-holding plus deep-breathing homework and beat exposure-only for speech anxiety. The difference: they paired the breath skill with daily practice and social feedback, not just a quick cue.
Cook et al. (2019) used single-case sessions to show resurgence pops up fast after extinction. Their lab model backs the idea that relapse, not cure, is the norm.
KELLEHER (1961) warned that any stimulus with learned reinforcing power can slow extinction. If the 'cue' itself has bite, it may help a little, but it won't lock the door against fear.
Why it matters
When you run exposure for vocal or social anxiety, plan for the comeback. Add booster sessions or teach self-management skills, not one-time cues. Track the return with brief post-checks so you can re-train before the client drops out.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →After a successful speech exposure, book a second session one week later and teach the client a self-cue plus deep-breathing loop.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Prior studies indicate extinguished fear often partially returns when participants are later tested outside the extinction context. Cues carried from the extinction context to the test context sometimes reduce return of fear, but it is unclear whether such extinction cues (ECs) reduce return of fear of public speaking. Here we assessed return of fear of public speaking, and whether either of two types of ECs can attenuate it. Participants gave speeches of increasing difficulty during an exposure practice session and were tested 2 days later in a different context. Testing occurred in the presence of physical ECs, after mentally rehearsing the exposure session, or without either reminder. Practice reduced fear of public speaking, but fear partially returned at test. Neither physical nor mental ECs reduced partial return of fear of public speaking. The return of extinguished fear of public speaking, although small, was reliable, but not appreciably sensitive to presence of ECs.
Behavior modification, 2016 · doi:10.1177/0145445516645766