The behaviourist approach to treating phobias

• What are the two behavioural treatments for phobias?

  Systematic desensitisation and flooding
• How do both therapies for phobias work?

  They use classical conditioning to replace a person's phobia with a new response
• What is systematic desensitisation (SD)?

  • A behavioural therapy to reduce phobic anxiety
  • Involves classical conditioning
  • Teaches relaxation in the presence of phobic stimulus
  • Aims to replace anxiety with relaxation
• What is counter-conditioning in the context of systematic desensitisation?

  It is the learning of a different response to a phobic stimulus
• What are the three critical components of systematic desensitisation?

  1. Fear/anxiety hierarchy
  2. Relaxation training
  3. Reciprocal inhibition/exposure
• What is a fear/anxiety hierarchy?

  It is a list of situations related to the phobic stimulus ranked from least to most terrifying
• How might a person with a phobia of dogs rank their fear/anxiety hierarchy?

  Seeing a cartoon picture of a small dog might be low, while stroking a dog is at the top
• What does relaxation training involve in systematic desensitisation?

  • Teaching patients to relax deeply
  • Techniques include breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and mental imagery
  • Patients imagine themselves in relaxing situations
• What is the role of exposure in systematic desensitisation?

  It involves exposing the patient to their phobic situation while they are relaxed
• What is reciprocal inhibition in the context of systematic desensitisation?

  It is the theory that two emotional states cannot exist at the same time
• What happens when a patient can remain relaxed in the presence of the least feared stimulus?

  They gradually progress to the next level of the fear hierarchy
• What is flooding in the context of treating phobias?

  • A behavioural therapy exposing patients to their phobic stimulus immediately
  • No gradual build-up in a fear hierarchy
  • Sessions are typically longer than systematic desensitisation
• How long do flooding sessions typically last?

  1. 3 hours
• What happens to the conditioned stimulus during flooding?

  It no longer produces the conditioned response (fear)
• What is extinction in the context of flooding?

  It is when the phobic response is extinguished by encountering the stimulus without the unconditioned stimulus
• Why is flooding considered an unpleasant experience?

  Because it purposefully elicits a high level of anxiety
• What is a limitation of flooding?

  Patients may be unwilling to see it through to the end
• What is a strength of systematic desensitisation?

  • Patients tend to prefer it over flooding
  • It causes less trauma
  • It includes pleasant relaxation techniques
  • Low refusal and attrition rates
• Why is systematic desensitisation not effective for all phobias?

  It is ineffective for phobias that have not developed through personal experience
• What do some psychologists believe about certain phobias?

  They believe some phobias have an evolutionary survival benefit
• What is a strength of flooding as a treatment for phobias?

  • It is cost-effective
  • Equally effective as other treatments
  • Takes less time to achieve positive results
• Why might flooding not be suitable for some patients?

  Some patients may have learning difficulties that hinder their understanding of the treatment
• Why are cognitive therapies preferred for some phobias?

  Because they tackle the irrational thinking associated with cognitive elements of phobias
• What did Gilroy et al. (2003) find regarding systematic desensitisation?

  • Examined 42 patients with arachnophobia
  • Patients underwent three 45-minute sessions
  • Less fearful than a control group after 3 and 33 months
  • Supports systematic desensitisation as an effective long-term treatment