Effectiveness of Operationalized Gestalt Therapy Role-Playing in the Treatment of Phobic Behaviors

The Gestalt therapy projection hypothesis states that unwarranted fears are maintained by failing to recognize that the aversive properties ascribed or projected to a feared stimulus are self-created. The recognition of these projections by a role-playing technique that consists of rehearsing the ascribed aversive properties is assumed to reduce the fear. Thus, if for example, one fears a dog and describes it as aggressive, one would role-play the fear responses to the dog as well as a situation where one is aggressive. In order to examine the Gestalt hypothesis, 24 phobic subjects were randomly assigned to three groups with operationalized components of the role-playing technique varied as follows: full treatment (FT) constituting roleplaying both the fear responses and the aversive properties ascribed to the fear stimulus; (SRP) role-playing only the aversive properties ascribed to the feared stimulus; and (RRP) roleplaying only the fear responses. It was found that in general, across a number of measures, the two groups that roleplayed the aversive properties ascribed to the fear stimulus (FT and SRP), and thus rehearsed the projections, were significantly more effective in reducing their fears than the (RRP) group which only roleplayed the fear responses. These results are interpreted as support for the Gestalt therapy projections hypothesis. Furthermore, there is evidence that the cognitive restructuring accompanying fear reduction may be achieved through an abbreviated form of the Gestalt therapy roleplaying technique. According to Gestalt therapy theorists Perls, Hefferline and Goodman, (1951) a projection is a personal trait or behavior that is attributed to objects or persons in the environment. Consequently, the projected trait or behavior is experienced as coming from external stimuli rather than originating from the projector (p. 211). For instance, a person fearing an animal or a social situation would behave as if these properties were actually an inherent part of the aversive stimulus. In the case of a claustrophobic, a person may avoid small rooms for fear of suffocation and fear of confinement. In that situation, the aversive properties attributed to the small room could be insufficient oxygen and loss of freedom. Perls (1969) views these attributed properties as “projections” which are maintained by “disowning” responsibility for their creation (pp. 67-68). Perls, et at. (1951) further assert that in projecting, one is aware of the reaction toward the environmental object but by not identifying with the reaction, one loses the sense that one is the owner of the reaction (p.212). The recognition process however, occurs only when a person experiences the total reaction to the projected properties. Perls (1969) alludes to the concept of “total reaction” when he cautions that a strictly intellectual assessment of the projected properties, without the sensory and affective modes triggered by the total experience, will yield a mere abstraction of the aversive situation. In other words, a rational discussion of what causes a “phobic attitude” 1 is not sufficient to promote change (p.66). Therefore, Gestalt therapy views human behavior holistically and uses experiential learning as a vehicle for changing behavior. It is not difficult to understand the rationale for the experiential notion of Gestalt therapy when one considers that learning a new behavior involves sensorial as well as cognitive, affective and motor components of a person. Thus in the case of phobic behavior, one learns a total avoidance response composed of the sensorial registry of the stimulus, the thoughts and affect associated with the stimulus, and the motor activity to avoid the stimulus. Considering the notion of projected properties and the importance on experiencing the salient parts of the total response, Perls (1969) 1 Although Perls is using ‘phobic attitude’ to describe segments that are avoided in disturbing dreams rather than referring to phobias, in this study it is hypothesized that similar avoidance processes are responsible for the creation and perpetuation of phobias.