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 the

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The patient's fear reduction can be explained by the two-factor theory, which asserts that emotions are composed of both physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation of that arousal. By providing a new interpretation of the patient's arousal, the therapist helped him reinterpret his fear in a less distressing way, leading to reduced fear.

A Therapist Tells a Patient Who Is Afraid of Elevators