Behavioural approach to treating phobias

• Who developed the treatment of systematic desensitisation?

  Wolpe
• State the three aspects of SD

  • COUNTERCONDITIONING- patient taught a new association which counters the original association, taught relaxation instead of fear. Reciprocal inhibition- the relaxing response inhibits anxious response
  • RELAXATION- relaxation techniques- slow deep breaths, visualising peaceful scene, muscle relaxation, focusing on the present
  • DESENSITISATION HIERARCHY- introducing the phobia at its smallest and gradually increasing its size slowly- least to most fearful stimuli. At each stage patient practises relaxation and only moves to the next when ready to do so
• Describe the process of flooding

  • Patient first taught how to relax muscles completely. Then immersed in experience of phobia at its worst in one long session, which continues until the persons anxiety disappears
  • Can be conducted in vivo (actual exposure) or virtual reality used
  • Rationale- the idea that a fear response has a time limit. As adrenaline levels decrease naturally, the feared stimulus can be associated with a non anxious response
• State what is meant by flooding

  Form of behavioural therapy used to treat phobias and other anxiety disorders. Client is exposed to extreme form of threatening situation under relaxed conditions until anxiety reaction is extinguished
• State what is meant by systematic desensitisation

  Form of behavioural therapy used to treat phobias and other anxiety disorders. Client gradually exposed to or imagines the threatening situation under relaxed conditions until the anxiety reaction is extinguished
• Evaluation of methods to treating phobias?

  • ☹️SD not appropriate for some phobias- ohman et al- may not be suitable for treating phobias with underlying evolutionary survival like heights
  • ☹️flooding can be unethical- highly traumatic, ppl may quit during treatment, reducing effectiveness
  • 😊relaxation may not be necessary- klein et al- no difference between both methods and psychotherapy in effectiveness- exposure alone helps
  • 😊behavioural therapies faster at treatment- doesn’t require deep thinking about problems like CBT, useful for people who lack insight into their emotions