Flooding

• Flooding-> Involves patient being exposed to the phobia very quickly, without a gradual build up(unlike SD, which has a hierarchy.)
• It involves an immediate response to the response to the phobic stimulus.

  For example, someone with arachnophobia may have a larger spider crawl over their hands.
• Sessions are longer than SD and can last up to 3 hours long.
• It stops phobic responses very quickly.
• Theory does not have the option of avoidance behaviour.

  They then learn very quickly that the the phobic stimulus is not harmful.
• The phobia becomes EXTINCT:

  the conditioned stimulus is encountered without the presence of the unconditioned stimulus.
• Often, the patient becomes so exhausted after their initial reaction that they eventually are worn out and have no choice but to relax.
• Patients have to give their full informed consent to take part as it is a traumatic procedure.
• Flooding is a more extreme behavioural therapy for phobias.
• In flooding a person is exposed to the most frightening situation immediately.
• A person with a phobia of dogs would be placed in a room with a dog and asked to stroke the dog straight away.
• Flooding can take one of two forms; in vivo (actual exposure), or in vitro (imaginary exposure).
• In flooding a patient is taught relaxation techniques.
• Flooding can use direct exposure or imagined exposure.
• Flooding involves exposing people to their phobic stimulus without gradual exposure.
• Flooding stops phobic responses quickly.
• Without the option to avoid the phobia, flooding can work quickly.
• In classical conditioning when the phobic response disappears it is called extinction.
• Patients must give informed consent before flooding therapy begins.
• Most phobic patients would opt for SD over flooding therapy.