Systematic desensitisation: A behavioural therapy designed to reduce an unwanted response, which involves drawing up an anxiety hierarchy, teaching the person to relax, and then exposing them to phobic situations
What is systematic desensitisation?
A therapy designed to reduce phobic anxiety through classical conditioning - if a person can learn to relax in the presence of the phobic stimulus, they are cured
In systematic desensitisation, a new response to the phobic stimulus is learned - this is called counterconditioning
What are the three processes in systematic desensitisation?
The anxiety hierarchy, relaxation, exposure
What is the anxiety hierarchy?
A list of situations related to the phobic stimulus that provoke anxiety from least to most frightening
What is relaxation?
Where the client is taught to relax as deeply as possible - this might involve breathing techniques or mental imagery techniques
What is an alternative way of achieving relaxation?
Drugs
In relaxation, it is impossible to be afraid and relaxed at the same time, so one emotion prevents the other (reciprocal inhibition)
What is exposure?
When the client is relaxed, they are exposed to the phobic stimulus. They start at the bottom of the anxiety hierarchy, working their way up
When is a treatment of systematic desensitisation successful?
When the client can stay relaxed in situations high on the anxiety hierarchy
Strength: Systematic desensitisation
What? Evidence of effectiveness
Who? Gilroy - 42 people w/ SD for arachnophobia - SD group less fearful than a control group
Wechler - SD = effective for specific phobia, social phobia and agoraphobia
Why? Likely to help those w/ phobias
Strength: Systematic desensitisation
What? Helps those w/ learning disabilities
Who? Some w/ phobias also have a learning disability - may struggle with cognitive therapies or feel confused/distressed
Why? Most appropriate treatment for those w/ learning disabilities