Evaluation

• Effectiveness : Research Support

  • generally SD has proven to be sucessful when the problem is a learned one for example specific phobias capafons et Al 1998 found that clients with a fear of flying showed less physiological sign of fear and reported lower fear levels whilst in a flight simulator.
• Effectiveness : Symptom substitution

  • Behavioural therapies may not work with certain phobias because the symptoms are only the tip of the iceberg . If you remove the symptoms the cause still remains and the symptoms will simply resurface possibly in another form (symptom substitution)
• Symptom Substitution (2)

  • Freud 1909 recorded case of Little Hans who developed a phobias of horses
  • Actual problem was the envy of his father but couldn’t express it directly and anxiety was projected on horse
  • phobia was cured when he accepted his feelings about his father
• Effectivness : not suitable for all phobias

  research suggests that ST it’s not effective for more generalised (agoraphobia) and ancient fears. Seligman argued that animals including humans are genetically programmed to rapidly learn an association between potentially life threatening stimuli and fear. These stimuli are referred to as ancient fears which would’ve been dangerous in our evolutionary past (heights snakes)

  concept of biological preparedness would explain why people are much less likely to develop fears of modern objects
• Ethical issues

  Genreslly SD is considered to be more ethical than other forms of behavioural therapies such as flooding techniques which involve rapidly exposing client to their most feared phobia . In SD each step is conducted slowly at a pace dictated largely by client therefore therapist is able to whether client is fully relaxed at each stage of therapy . Therapist must only attempt to move up fiercer when client is completely comfortable therefore anxiety shouldn't be an issue
• Ethical Issues ; able to provide valid consent

  SD is used mainly with phobias and not problems such as depression and schizophrenia. This means clients are in touch with reality and in a healthy frame of mind to understand what the the therapy will entail .

  • this means they are able to provide valid consent to therapy. In addition client attends therapy sessions at their own free will and is able to withdraw at any point.