A therapist tells a patient who is afraid of elevators that his rapid breathing while on an elevator is not due to fear but is a natural consequence of too little oxygen in a small,enclosed space.With this new interpretation of his arousal,the patient no longer dreads elevators.The reduction in the patient's fear is best understood in terms of

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The therapist's explanation of the patient's physiological response to being in an elevator reframes the situation as a neutral one, rather than one that should cause fear. This corresponds to the two-factor theory, which states that emotions are a combination of physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation of that arousal. By changing the patient's interpretation of their physiological response, the fear response is reduced.

A Therapist Tells a Patient Who Is Afraid of Elevators