Eval of Systematic Desensitisation

• Effectiveness of Systematic Desensitization (SD) for the treatment of phobias


  • Research shows it is effective in the treatment of specific phobias
  • 75% of clients with phobias responded to SD
  • Key to success is actual contact with the feared stimulus (in vivo exposure is more successful than in vitro)
• Systematic Desensitization


  • May be more to do with exposure to the feared situation than relaxation
  • Expectation of being able to cope with the feared stimulus is most important
• The exact reason why systematic desensitization is effective remains unclear
• Appropriateness of Systematic Desensitization as a treatment for phobias


  • Patients seem to prefer it to flooding because it is less traumatic due to the more gentle step by step approach
  • Low refusal rates and low attrition rates suggest it is an appropriate treatment for many clients with phobias
• Systematic Desensitization (and other behavioural therapies)


  • Focuses only on symptoms and ignores the causes of abnormal behaviour (according to the psychodynamic model)
  • Can lead to symptom substitution where the problem shows itself in another way through different symptoms
• Behaviourists reject the criticism of symptom substitution and claim we need not look beyond the behavioural symptoms as the symptoms are the disorder