Phobias

• A limitation into flooding

  • Traumatic - unpleasant experience
  • [Schumacher et al] ppts and therapists rates flooding more stressful than SD
  • [Wolpe] eradicated a girls phobia of cars by driving her around
  • means attrition rates are higher - waste of time and money
• A strength into flooding

  + Cost effective - not expensive- flooding can work in as little as one session opposed to ten SD to achieve the same results- allows more people to get treated
• Strengths for systematic desensitisation

  +Evidence for it's effectiveness [Gilroy et al]- 42 people who had SD for spider phobia less fearful than a control group treated without exposure and just relaxation

  • [Wechsler et al] - SD is effective for specific and social phobias+
• A limitation for SD

  • Reductionist- [Rachman] demonstrated that social phobias provided social skills training had greater recovery then a group without the training
• Two process model- explains the onset and persistence of disorders that create phobias. Mowrer said phobias are acquired through CC and maintained through OC
• A strength of the explanation in phobias

  • Shows a link between phobias and a traumatic experience-little albert - [De jongh et al]- 73% of ppts with a fear of dental treatment experienced a traumatic experience compared to control group of people with low dental anxiety- only 21% hada traumatic event ---> counter- snake phobias with no trauma
• A limitation of the explanation into ohobias

  • Doesn't take into account cognitive aspects- eg irrational beliefs about stimulus
• Phobias- An irrational fear of an object or situation
• Behavioural characteristics into Phobias

  • Avoidance
  • Endurance
  • Panic
• Emotional characteristics into phobias

  • Anxiety
  • Fear
  • Unreasonable emotions
• Cognitive characteristics of Phobias

  • Selective attention
  • Irrational beliefs
  • Cognitive distortions