6. The Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias

• 1. The Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias:

  Wolpe (1958) - Systematic Desensitisation:

  • Treat unwanted response to p.s.; classical con.
  • Counter conditioned, taught new association.
  • Learn new response of relaxation.
  • Fear + relaxation can’t co-exist.
• 1a. The Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias:

  Wolpe (1958) - Systematic Desensitisation:

  1. Muscle/breathing techniques (reciprocal inhibition).
  2. Fear hierarchy; 10-15 trigger, rate 0-10.
  3. Works through hierarchy until fear extinction.
• 1b. The Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias:

  Wolpe (1958) - Systematic Desensitisation:

  • Exposure - treatment successful when relaxed in all situations.
  • Relaxation - imaging calm situations/tranquillising drugs (valium).
  • Anxiety hierarchy.
• 2. The Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias:

  Flooding:

  • Exposed to extreme p.s. to reduce anxiety.
  • Small amount long therapy sessions, 2-3hrs.
  • Instantly to top hierarchy.
• 2a. The Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias:

  Flooding + Behavioural Extinction:

  • Classical con. + flooding = behaviour extinction.
  • Learned response when CS (e.g. dog) encountered w/o UCS (e.g. bitten).
  • CS not produce CR (fear).
  • When remained faced w/ fear through all anxiety responses, brain builds new pathways that divert stimulus away from fear response in future.
  • Develop schema, tells brain survived last time so will again = response reinforced each time.
• The Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias (Evaluation)


  Strength - SD:

  P - evidence for effectiveness.

  E - Gilroy et al. (2003), 42 w/ SD treatment for phobia.

  E - SD group less fearful than control group (treated by relaxation, no exposure).

  L - SD effective for specific/social phobia + agoraphobia.
• The Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias (Evaluation)

  Strength - SD:

  P - can treat people w/ learning disabilities.

  E - alternatives of SD not suitable as may struggle w/ cognitive therapies requiring high level thought.

  E - feel confused/distressed.

  L - most appropriate treatment for learning disabilities, higher generalisability.
• The Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias (Evaluation)

  Strength - SD:

  P - exposure in real-world setting.

  E - alternatives, virtual reality (VR), avoids IRL danger like heights + is cost-effective.

  L - provides alternative for people who can‘t have original.
• The Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias (Evaluation)

  Strength - Flooding:

  P - cost-effective.

  E - therapy cost-effective if clinically effective + not expensive; flooding can work in one session compared to many of SD.

  E - can be treated at same cost w/ flooding than SD.
• The Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias (Evaluation)

  Limitation - Flooding:

  P - unpleasant experience.

  E - causes serious anxiety; participants rated more stressful than SD.

  E - causes ethical issues as knowingly causes stress for clients; attrition (dropout) rates higher.

  L - therapists may avoid using treatment.