Gestalt Empty-Chair Dialogue Versus Systematic Desensitization in the Treatment of a Phobia

[Twenty-three introductory psychology students at a state university were selected as snake-phobic subjects on the basis of subjective and objective criteria and randomly assigned to one of three groups: Gestalt empty-chair dialogue, systematic desensitization, and no therapy. Following treatment, measures were taken of subjects' avoidance behavior and their subjective experience. Both empty-chair dialogue subjects and desensitization subjects showed significant improvement on the objective measures, as compared to the no therapy control group. No other group differences were found. The authors concluded that the present study is evidence for the efficacy of the Gestalt empty-chair dialogue in the treatment of simple phobia.]