Behaviorist Approach To Treating Phobias

Question 1

Define flooding

Answer 1

• flooding is done by putting someone into a situation where they cannot escape from their fear. They are exposed to the fear and to confront it directly

Question 2

Define flooding and classical conditioning

Answer 2

• your body cannot satin a state of anxiety and so it will relax and calm down
• therefore you will eventually associate the phobia with relaxation

Question 3

Define systematic desensitisation (wolpe 1958)

Answer 3

• this treatment is similar to flooding and draws on the same principles of association
• counter conditioning - replacing the conditioned fear with a harmless response
• however it is done in much more gradual way which leads up to exposing somebody to their fear