saveendra and silverman ( button phobia )

• Button phobia

  Phobia of buttons
• Age at which the boy's button phobia began

  5 (years)
• From session 2 to session 4


  The boy's ratings of distress increased/went up/got larger
• Disgust-related exposure sessions

  1. Explored reasons why he felt buttons were disgusting

  2. Used self-control/cognitive strategies

  3. He had to imagine buttons falling on to him

  4. He had to imagine hugging his mother with buttons on her shirt

  5. He was asked how they looked/felt/smelled

  6. He then was asked to elaborate on how he felt

  7. It progressed from larger to smaller buttons

  8. Cognitive re-structuring was used when necessary
• Saavedra and Silverman study (button phobia)

  1. Investigate/discover situation when person first came into contact with phobic stimulus

  2. Unearth the cause
• Saavedra and Silverman study (button phobia)

  • Boy revealed bowl of buttons fell on him during art class
  • Mother providing positive reinforcement for boy to cope with button fears in just four sessions
• Parent involved in therapy for children with phobias

  Faster positive outcomes
• Real-world application


  • Using a Feelings Thermometer (rated on a scale of 0–8) to find out a boy's disgust/fear (for buttons)
• Feelings Thermometer


  Rated on a scale of 0–8
• Using Feelings Thermometer


  Helps understand what is causing the fear (or anger) in a child at school
• The Feelings Thermometer might be useful for schools to use with students who show fear (or use it for anger)
• Behavioural exposures intervention


  • Mother provided positive reinforcement/he was rewarded for handling buttons
  • This was given contingent on the child successfully completing the gradual exposure
  • Treatment sessions lasted for 30m with the boy
  • Treatment sessions lasted for 20m with the boy and his mother
  • He produced a hierarchy of disgust/fear (using a Feelings Thermometer)
  • He was exposed to this disgust/fear hierarchy/a variety of buttons
  • He had to hug his mother who was wearing (plastic) buttons
  • His level of disgust/fear was recorded
  • At the bottom was large denim jeans buttons/at the top was small plastic buttons
• Weaknesses of the Disgust/Fear Hierarchy

  • They are subjective
  • He may have given desirable ratings
  • He may have lied about the ratings
• 0–8 quite restrictive


  The range of 0-8 for the ratings is quite restrictive
• Stimuli


  • Large denim/jean (buttons)
• Post-treatment assessment session results

  • The boy reported minimal distress/there was a reduction in the distress/disgust ratings
  • He no longer met the DSM-IV/diagnostic criteria for a (specific) phobia
  • He could now wear (clear) buttons/his school uniform shirt
• Stimuli given a Distress Rating of 2 or 3 on the Disgust/Fear Hierarchy


  • Large denim jean (buttons)
  • Small denim jean (buttons)
  • Clip-on denim jean (buttons)