What is Exposure?
Exposure is a behavior change technique that involves gradually or directly confronting feared or avoided stimuli to reduce avoidance behavior and anxiety. Repeated contact with the feared stimulus in a safe context weakens the fear response over time.
How it works
Exposure works through habituation (the fear response naturally decreases with repeated non-threatening contact) and inhibitory learning (new safety associations are formed that compete with the fear memory). It can be graded (starting with less threatening versions and progressing) or flooding (confronting the full stimulus immediately). Graded exposure is more commonly used because it is better tolerated. The key principle is that avoidance maintains anxiety while approach reduces it.
Applied example
A person with a fear of public speaking starts by presenting to one trusted friend, then to a small group, then to a larger audience. Each successful experience weakens the fear association and builds confidence that speaking does not lead to the catastrophic outcomes they imagined.
Why it matters
Exposure is the most evidence-supported treatment for anxiety and avoidance behaviors because it directly reverses the avoidance cycle that maintains fear.
