Behavioural approach to treating phobias

• What is flooding based on?

  Classical conditioning
• What does extinction involve in the context of classical conditioning?

  Breaking a conditioned stimulus-conditioned response bond
• What happens during the process of flooding?

  The patient is bombarded by fear without the ability to escape the feared stimulus
• How does anxiety change during flooding therapy?

  Anxiety rises initially but eventually reduces as it cannot remain high indefinitely
• What is the outcome of anxiety levels dropping during flooding therapy?

  The association between the stimulus and anxiety is broken, leading to extinction
• What are the two methods of conducting flooding therapy?

  In vivo (real life) and in vitro (imagined)
• What is systematic desensitization based on?

  Counter-conditioning
• What does systematic desensitization involve?

  Relaxation training and gradual exposure to the feared stimulus
• What is the purpose of relaxation training in systematic desensitization?

  To help the patient manage anxiety and promote relaxation
• What is the concept of reciprocal inhibition in systematic desensitization?

  Fear and relaxation cannot co-exist
• What is an anxiety hierarchy?

  A ranked list of situations that provoke anxiety from least to most frightening
• How does gradual exposure work in systematic desensitization?

  The patient is exposed to the feared stimulus while practicing relaxation at every stage
• What indicates that systematic desensitization treatment is successful?

  The client can stay relaxed in situations high on the anxiety hierarchy