Subjektives Gefühls- und Körpererleben bei Wasch- und Kontrollzwangshandlungen

Subjective Emotional and Physical Experience during Compulsive Washing and Checking Background: Contrary to its general acceptance, empirical evidence for the anxiety reduction hypothesis for compulsions has so far been insufficient. Furthermore, a number of arguments question its validity. For the development and maintenance of compulsive washing and checking – the two most important subgroups of obsessive- compulsive disorder – anxiety reduction could be of differential importance. Patients and Methods: The present study examined whether compulsive behavior also serves to intensify positively valent emotions apart from reducing negatively valent emotions and physical arousal and, moreover, whether positive reinforcement is dominating in compulsive checking in comparison to compulsive washing. Results: The study shows that compulsions are experienced as both reducing negative affectivity and intensifying positive affectivity, accompanied by a subjective physiological deactivation. Compulsive washing and checking do not differ herein. On the level of single emotions and physical sensations, significant changes of intensity could be shown for anxiety, relief, satisfaction, tension, inner agitation, and relaxation. The experience of disgust represents a particularly discriminating characteristic between washing and checking. Conclusion: The results suggests that the anxiety reduction hypothesis should also encompass the aspect of a possible ‘double reinforcement’ of compulsions.