Feelings into words: Contributions of language to exposure therapy

Sources

• Lieberman, M. D., Inagaki, T. K., Tabibnia, G., & Crockett, M. J. (2011). Subjective responses to emotional stimuli during labeling, reappraisal, and distraction. doi:10.1037/a0023503

  Level B Experiment

  Supports the claims that affect labelling lowered self-reported distress about as much as reappraisal and distraction, that participants nonetheless predicted it would increase distress, and that it diminished self-reported pleasure for positive pictures. Laboratory tasks with standardised pictures.

• Kircanski, K., Lieberman, M. D., & Craske, M. G. (2012). Feelings into words: Contributions of language to exposure therapy. doi:10.1177/0956797612443830

  Level B Experiment

  Supports the claims that, one week after exposure, the affect-labelling group showed a lower skin conductance response than the other groups but did not differ in self-reported fear, and that greater use of anxiety and fear words was associated with greater reductions in fear responding. A brief exposure course in a specific fear.

• Torre, J. B., & Lieberman, M. D. (2018). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling as implicit emotion regulation. doi:10.1177/1754073917742706

  Level D Review

  Supports the claims that putting feelings into words can attenuate emotional experience and may not feel like regulation as it occurs. A narrative review by researchers who produced much of the primary evidence.