Treating phobias

• Systematic Desensitisation

  1 - patient taught relaxation techniques

  2 - patient makes hierarchy ranging from least to most fearful situation

  3 - patient starts at the bottom and engages in relaxation techniques

  4 - patient ascends hierarchy, associating relaxation with each stage
• systematic desensitisation uses counter conditioning, which is a process of unlearning previously associated maladaptive responses and learning new adaptive ones in place
• systematic desensitisation also uses reciprocal inhibition, which means we are unable to experience contrasting emotions at the same time like fear and relaxation
• Flooding

  immediate full exposure to the learned stimulus for a prolonged period without avoidance
• Flooding

  high levels of physiological arousal cannot be maintained by the body -> body is forced to shut down
• Behavioural treatments strength

  can be very effective! yippee!! Barlow et al found success rates of 60-90%. eliminates need for drugs
• Behavioural treatments weakness

  major ethical issues. cant get informed consent because who would agree to being subjected to intense fear in flooding, no protection from harm as there's no avoidance. some people view SD as flooding but 5 times which is bad. may also cause the opposite effect on those with learning disabilities
• Behavioural treatments weakness

  aren't effective for some phobias. Ohman found phobias with underlying survival components like fear of heights weren't treated effectively -> not universal