Abstract
Foa and Kozak’s emotional processing theory — fear persists when fear structures lack corrective information; exposure supplies the mismatch that updates them.
Foa, E. B., & Kozak, M. J. (1986). Psychological Bulletin, 99(1), 20–35. DOI
Key findings
- Fear structure — Phobic fear lives in a memory structure — not random panic.
- Corrective information — Healing needs input that contradicts the fear program.
- Exposure mechanism — Safe, repeated contact feeds corrective data — avoidance blocks update.
- Processing not flooding — Change is information integration, not mere habituation alone.
Limits
Exposure theory paper — mechanism account, not a manual for unsupervised trauma work.
Application
When fear persists after danger passes — corrective exposure updates the fear structure; avoidance keeps it fed. See Troublemaker levels.