From the laboratory to the clinic (and back again): How experiments have informed cognitive–behavior therapy for obsessive–compulsive disorder

Abstract

Behavioral and cognitive models—as well as complementary theories such as the inference-based, mood-as-input, and seeking proxies for internal states approaches—have been put forward to explain the development and maintenance of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Although theory is important to inform the conceptualization and treatment of OCD, experimental research is essential to provide empirical support for these different theoretical approaches. Experiments allow an increased understanding of the mechanisms (e.g., maladaptive beliefs) associated with the etiology and maintenance of OCD symptoms and, in this way, directly contribute to the expansion and creation of cognitive–behavioral treatment strategies. This selective review demonstrates how foundational and sometimes groundbreaking experiments pertaining to core OCD symptoms (i.e., checking/reassurance seeking, obsessions, contamination, and ordering/arranging) have informed the improvement of cognitive–behavior therapy for this debilitating mental illness. The relevance of experiments with both clinical and analog samples is discussed, and recommendations for future experimental work are provided.