Upshot: Proper EFT is no more effective than improper EFT (tapping on the arm) or non-EFT (tapping on a doll).

Method: Subjects were divided into four groups. Group EFT: performed proper EFT. Group P (placebo): tapped on improper points on the arm. Group M (modeling control): tapped on a doll instead of themselves. Group C (control): no-treatment.

Results: Groups EFT, P, and M were all equally effective.

Abstract: The effectiveness of the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), a treatment for anxiety and fear, was assessed. One hundred nineteen university students were assigned and tested in an independent four-group design. The groups differed in the treatment each received: applied treatment of EFT (Group EFT); a placebo treatment (Group P); a modeling treatment (Group M); and a control (Group C). Participants’ self-reported baseline and post-treatment ratings of fear were measured. Group EFT showed a significant decrease in self-report measures at post-treatment. However, Group P and Group M showed a similar significant decrease. Group C did not show a significant decrease in post-treatment fear ratings. These results do not support the idea that the purported benefits of EFT are uniquely dependent on the “tapping of meridians.” Rather, these results suggest that the reported effectiveness of EFT is attributable to characteristics it shares with more traditional therapies [of distraction and desensitization paired with exposure].