Save
...
Psychopathology
Phobias
Treatment - behav approach
Save
Share
Learn
Content
Leaderboard
Share
Learn
Created by
jhubel mendi
Visit profile
Cards (10)
How does systematic desensitisation work?
Works through
reciprocal inhibition
(can't feel fear and relaxation
simultaneously
).
Uses
classical
conditioning
to replace
irrational
fears with
relaxation.
Client learns
relaxation
techniques
.
Gradual exposure to the phobic stimulus in
stages of increasing intensity
.
Anxiety is replaced by
calmness
over time.
What are the 3 stages of SD?
1 -
anxiety hierarchy
2-
relaxation
3 - exposure
Explain anxiety hierarchy
Both
patient
and
therapist
constructs a AH
List of situation that causes fear and anxiety
Ordered from
least
fear inducing and
most
fear inducing
Explain Relaxation
The
client
is taught relaxation
techniques
- to teach them how to relax
deeply
Breathing and mental imagery
Explain exposure
The patient is
exposed
to each stage of the
hierarchy
one by one
Starts with least
fear
inducing
Until they are fully
relaxed
- move to the next stage
repeats until fully relaxed with
highest
stage
How does flooding work?
Prevents avoidance
behavior
Direct and immediate exposure
Can be
2-3
hours
Stay in the presence of
phobic stimulus
until fear has receded or phobia behavior is exhausted
How does flooding work?
Patient is unable to avoid the
phobic stimulus
so learns that it is harmless
known as
extinction
-
Classical conditioning
When the
CS
is present without the
UNS
So the CS no longer presents the
CR
One strength - research on the effectiveness of
SD
Gilroy et al
- tested
42
patients treated for spider phobias in
3 45 minutes
SD sessions.
A
control group
was treated by relaxation without exposure
At
3 months
and
33 months
after, the SD group was
significantly
less fearful than the control group
This shows - SD is an effective treatment and the impacts are
long lasting
- thus usefull for phobias - increases validity
One limitation - fails to address the real cause of the phobia
Criticized by
psychodynamic
model - claims the therapies only focus on the symptoms - ignores the cause of phobia.
Psychoanalyst
- symptoms are merely the tip of the iceberg.
The real cause may be traumatic childhood experiences that are suppressed into the
unconscious mind
.
Believes that the therapy's only alleviate the anxiety caused by it.
WB
- long term phobia will resurface in a different form ( symptom substitution)
Thus using behav therapy to treat phobias is not effective
One limitation -
flooding
treatment is
traumatic
patient
to give up their right to withdraw -> to the patient experiencing
extreme
emotion and even
symptoms
such as
fainting
.
This a
problem
as the stressful nature of flooding may put people off from trying it.
Furthermore, flooding may need to stop due to needed medical attention for sudden physiological problems triggered by stress
If treatment is stopped it may make the phobia even worse
Thus
SD
is more
effective
and
ethical
treatment as it gives the patient full control and allows them to
withdraw
at any time thus reducing credibility
See similar decks
AQA GCSE Psychology
1687 cards
4.4.2 Treatment of Phobias
Edexcel A-Level Psychology > Unit 4: Learning Theories > 4.4 Phobias
49 cards
AP Psychology
2391 cards
4.2 The Behavioural Approach to Explaining Phobias
AQA A-Level Psychology > 4. Psychopathology
63 cards
4.3 The Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias
AQA A-Level Psychology > 4. Psychopathology
122 cards
4.3.2 Flooding
AQA A-Level Psychology > 4. Psychopathology > 4.3 The Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias
22 cards
OCR GCSE Psychology
2567 cards
4.3.1 Systematic Desensitisation
AQA A-Level Psychology > 4. Psychopathology > 4.3 The Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias
100 cards
5.2.1 The Behaviourist Approach
AQA A-Level Psychology > 5. Approaches in Psychology > 5.2 Learning Approaches
61 cards
5.5 The Psychodynamic Approach
AQA A-Level Psychology > 5. Approaches in Psychology
190 cards
5. Approaches in Psychology
AQA A-Level Psychology
562 cards
5.6 The Humanistic Approach
AQA A-Level Psychology > 5. Approaches in Psychology
41 cards
4.5 The Cognitive Approach to Treating Depression
AQA A-Level Psychology > 4. Psychopathology
119 cards
4.4 The Cognitive Approach to Explaining Depression
AQA A-Level Psychology > 4. Psychopathology
188 cards
4.4 Phobias
Edexcel A-Level Psychology > Unit 4: Learning Theories
73 cards
4.6 The Biological Approach to Explaining OCD
AQA A-Level Psychology > 4. Psychopathology
73 cards
4.2.1 The Two-Process Model
AQA A-Level Psychology > 4. Psychopathology > 4.2 The Behavioural Approach to Explaining Phobias
63 cards
5.4 The Biological Approach
AQA A-Level Psychology > 5. Approaches in Psychology
92 cards
5.3 The Cognitive Approach
AQA A-Level Psychology > 5. Approaches in Psychology
14 cards
5.5.3 Psychosexual Stages
AQA A-Level Psychology > 5. Approaches in Psychology > 5.5 The Psychodynamic Approach
43 cards
5.5.4 Defence Mechanisms
AQA A-Level Psychology > 5. Approaches in Psychology > 5.5 The Psychodynamic Approach
120 cards