The behavioural approach to treating phobias

• Systematic desensitisation (SD)

  A behavioural therapy designed to gradually reduce phobic anxiety through counterconditioning- new response to phobic stimulus is learned. Reciprocal inhibition- can't be afraid and relaxed at the same time.

  1. Anxiety hierarchy- put together by patient and therapist. List of situations related to phobic stimulus arranged from least to most frightening
  2. Relaxation- breathing exercises, mental imagery techniques (relaxing situations) and meditation
  3. Exposure- to phobic stimulus in relaxed state, across several sessions, working way up the hierarchy.
• Flooding

  A behavioural technique used to treat phobias in which the client is presented with the feared stimulus until the associated anxiety disappears.

  Extinction- conditioned response (fear) is extinguished when the conditioned stimulus (dog) is encountered without unconditioned stimulus (being bitten). Patient can be exhausted by own fear response.

  Ethical safeguards- Unpleasant experience so important that patient gives fully informed consent.
• Systematic desensitisation- evaluation

  Effectiveness- McGrath et al. (1990) reported that 75%. BUT cannot treat all- evolutionary e.g., heights

  More ethical treatment- but time consuming/costly
• Flooding- evaluation

  Time effective- usually 1 session- but can be uncomfortable (traumatic experience)- cost can be wasted if treatment not complete

  Can't treat all phobias- social phobias/agoraphobia- but effective- >75%