Treating phobias

• Systematic desensitisation


  Aims to gradually reduce anxiety through counterconditioning - the CS is paired with relaxation, which becomes the new CR.

  Works by reciprocal inhibition - you cannot feel anxious and relaxed at the same time, one emotion prevents the other.
• Anxiety hierarchies. 


  A list of fearful stimuli arranged in order from least to most frightening.

  Relaxation is practised at each level. The treatment is successful when the person can stay relaxed in situations high on the hierachy.
• Flooding

  Bombards a patient with the phobic object with no gradual build-up. Causes very quick learning through extinction, without being able to avoid it the person quickly learns that the object is harmless.

  Requires ethical safeguarding and informed consent, person must be fully prepared to undergo the treatment.
• Strength of SD - proven to be effective.


  Gilroy followed up 32 patients who had SD for a spider phobia in three 45-minute sessions. At both 3 and 33 months the SD group were less fearful than a control group. This shows that the treatment is effective in helping phobias, and is also long lasting.
• Limitations of flooding - traumatic (duh) and not useful for complex phobias


  Traumatic for patients

  • Patients are often unwilling to see the even through to the end, meaning that not only is time and money wasted and the treatment not effective, the patient could leave more phobic.

  Not useful for complex phobias

  • Social phobias tend to have more cognitive aspects, so they may benefit more from cognitive therapies rather than relaxation. Flooding is not that helpful.