Remediating rigid rule-following in subclinical obsessive-compulsive disorder using a brief mindfulness task: A case-control pilot study

Abstract

A pioneering experiment by Hayes et al. (1986a, b) demonstrated the influence of instructional control and rule-governed behaviour on sensitivity to alternating reinforcement schedules. Hassoulas et al. (2017) replicated the same experimental design in a sample of participants exhibiting obsessive-compulsive behavioural (OCB) traits, supporting the results reported by the original study but also providing further insights into the maintenance of rigid rule following in OCB. The current pilot study replicated the same experimental design and procedure once again, however in considering whether a brief mindfulness-based intervention would facilitate contact with schedule contingencies in a group of participants exhibiting OCB traits. A total of 78 participants were recruited, 38 of whom exhibited OCB traits as measured using the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI). The results revealed a significant difference in sensitivity to changing schedules between the group of participants exhibiting OCB traits and those with few such traits (n = 40), dependent on the degree of instructional accuracy they were provided with. The findings of the current study provide insights into the proposed concomitant administration of mindfulness-based interventions, alongside traditional first-line therapeutic modalities currently administered in the management of obsessive-compulsive disorder.