Treatment of Phobias

• What is counterconditioning?

  When a patient is taught, through classical conditioning, a new association that runs counter to the original association.
• What is systematic desensitisation (SD)?

  A form of behavioural therapy where a client is gradually exposed to the phobic stimulus using a hierarchy, under relaxed conditions until the anxiety reaction is extinguished
• What are the three stages of systematic desensitisation?

  Anxiety hierarchy, relaxation and exposure
• What is flooding?

  A form of behavioural therapy where a client is exposed to an extreme form of the phobic stimulus under relaxed conditions until the anxiety reaction is extinguished.
• What are the two behaviourist ways of treating phobias?

  Systematic desensitisation and flooding
• Which type of conditioning are these treatments based on?

  Classical conditioning
• What are four examples of relaxation techniques?

  1. Breathing exercises 2. Mental imagery 3. Muscle relaxation 4. Anti-anxiety drugs
• What is one difference between flooding and systematic desensitisation?

  Systematic Desensitisation - exposure is gradual / Flooding - exposure is immediate
• Why might Systematic Desensitisation be more ethical than flooding?

  Exposure is gradual. With flooding the immediate exposure may be too traumatic for patient
• What is an advantage of using flooding over SD?

  It is highly effective and quicker