Eye-movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has been widely supported in the literature for its effectiveness in treating Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and a variety of other diagnoses and symptoms. The variable findings regarding whether its effects are for reasons unique to this treatment, however, have become the focus of extensive discussion and debate. The following article reviews the studies targeting this question, and proceeds to consider why these studies’ findings, and other findings in the EMDR literature, vary so vastly. Implications of the EMDR controversy for the process of psychological research at large are considered.
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Levin, Lazrove, S., & Van Der Kolk, B. (1999). What psychological testing and neuroimaging tell us about the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder by eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 13(1- 2), 159-172.
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Lohr, J. M., Tolin, D. F., & Lilienfeld, S. O. (1998). Efficacy of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: Implications for behavior therapy. Behavior Therapy, 29, 123-156.
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Lohr, J. M., Lilienfeld, S. O., Tolin, D. F., & Herbert, J. D. (1999). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: An Analysis of Specific versus Nonspecific Treatment Factors. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 13(1-2). 185-207.
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Montgomery, R. W., & Ayllon, T. (1994). Eye movement desensitization across subjects: Subjective and physiological measures of treatment efficacy. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 25, 217-230.
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Perkins, B. R., & Rouanzoin, C. C. (2002). A Critical evaluation of current views regarding eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): clarifying points of confusion. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58(1), 77-97.
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Pitman, R. K., Orr, S., Altman, B., Longpre, R. E., Poire, R. E., & Macklin, M. L. (1996). Emotional processing during eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy of Vietnam veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 37, 419-429.
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Renfrey, G., & Spates, C. R. (1994). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing: A partial dismantling procedure. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 25, 231-239.
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Richards, D. A., Lovell, K., & Marks, I. M. (1994). Post-traumatic stress disorder: Evaluation of a behavioral treatment program. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 7, 669-680.
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Rogers, S., Silver, S. M., Goss, J., Obenchain, J., Willis, A., Whiteney, R. L. (1999). A single session, group study of exposure and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing in treating posttraumatic stress disorder among Vietnam war veterans: preliminary data. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 13(1-2), 119-130.
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Rothbaum, B. O. (1997). A controlled study of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disordered sexual assault victims. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 61, 317-334.
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Sharpley, C. F, Montgomery, I. M., Scalzo, L. A. (1996). Comparative efficacy of EMDR and alternative procedures in reducing the vividness of mental images. Scandinavian Journal of Behavior Therapy, 25(1), 37-42.
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Van Den Hout, M.Muris,, Salemink, E., & Kindt, M. (2001, June). Autobiographical memories become less vivid and emotional after eye movements. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 40(2), 121-130.
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