Behavioural approach to treating phobias

• How does systematic desensitisation 


  Counter coding: phobia + comfort = relaxation not anxiety with phobia

  Behaviour theory based on learning
• what is the anxiety hierarchy of systematic desensitisation 


  high + low anxiety situations involving phobic stimulous.

  in increasing order of anxiety hierarchy : spider toy > bigger toy > scary picture > real spider > psysical contact
• what is relaxation in terms of systematic desensitisation 


  Patient taught relaxation techniques or given drugs
• what is gradual exposure in terms of systematic desensitisation 


  patient goes through anxiety hierarchy maintaining relaxation
• how does flooding work?


  extinction: conditioned stimulus presented without unconditioned stimulus until no response. flooding is behaviour therapy
• how is a patient prepared for flooding


  flooding is traumatic so patient must be prepared
• how is flooding a fast process


  small number of long sessions, sometimes one long 3 hour session
• What is a strength of systematic desensitisation: less trauma, positive relaxation


  Makes it most popular, low dropout rate more people get better through treatment
• strength of systematic desensitisation: research support


  gilroy > patients have 3 sessions of SD > after 3 sessions and 33 months their spider phobia had reduced more than control group. SD is effective
• strength of flooding


  cost effective, only one long session needed to make phobia extinct
• weakness of flooding


  more flooding, less popular more dropout rates.

  can only be used for objects not things like social anxiety