behaviorist treatment strengths

• Based on Well-Established Psychological Theories – Behaviourist treatments are rooted in classical conditioning (Pavlov) and operant conditioning (Skinner), which are scientifically supported theories explaining how phobias develop and can be unlearned. This makes these treatments logically sound and empirically testable.
• Highly Effective for Simple Phobias – Flooding is particularly effective for specific phobias, as it prevents avoidance behaviour and leads to the extinction of the conditioned fear response. Supporting Research: Wolpe (1960) demonstrated the effectiveness of flooding when he treated a girl with a severe phobia of cars by forcing her to be driven around continuously. Initially, she was extremely distressed, but after a while, her anxiety subsided, and her phobia disappeared.