AO3

• a strength is that there is evidence for its effectiveness. Gilroy followed up 42 people after SD for spider phobia after 3, 45 min sessions. at both 3 and 33 months SD groups were less fearful than the control group. this means that it can be used in real-life and be effective
• a strength is that it can be used for people with learning disabilities because it does not require a high degree of rational thought
• a weakness is that it works well for simple phobias but not for complex ones such as agoraphobia or social phobias
• a weakness is that it is more ethical than flooding but it may still cause distress in the patient