Implicit associations in blood-injection-injury phobia: changes after prolonged exposure to a disgust-eliciting stimulus

The current study examined differences in implicit disgust associations between blood-injection-injury (BII) phobic and non-phobic individuals after a 30-minute in vivo exposure to a threat-relevant, disgust-eliciting stimulus (severed deer leg). Participants engaged in two implicit association tests (IAT), one at pre-exposure to the deer leg and one at post-exposure to determine the strength of their implicit associations regarding the concept of disgust. There was no significant change in implicit associations, as evidenced by scores on the IAT, for BII phobic individuals between pre- and post-exposure, suggesting that BII phobic individuals did not undergo a cognitive change of lessening of disgust associations. An explanation of non-significant findings is provided.