Behavioural approach in treating phobias

Question 1

what are the behavioural ways of treating phobias

Answer 1

• systematic desensitisation (SD)
• flooding

Question 2

what are the aims + assumptions of systematic desensitisation (SD)

Answer 2

• The idea is that two incompatible emotional states cannot exist at the same time e.g. anxiety and relaxation.
• The aim is therefore to replace anxiety (or the fear response) with relaxation
• This is done by re-teaching the individual to associate the feared object with feelings of being relaxed.
• The therapist helps the individual progress through a hierarchy of anxiety provoking situations - starting with those that arouse least anxiety and building up to those that provoke most anxiety.
• Relaxation techniques are taught and practised rigorously at every stage
• Relaxation techniques include strategies like visualisation, breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation
• You can only progress onto the next stage once fully calm + relaxed
• Treatment ends when the client is desensitised - able to work through the entire hierarchy without anxiety
• Counter association - learning to associate the phobia with calm
• Gradually introducing themself to the phobia

Question 3

what is an example of SD

Answer 3

1. stand and look at picture of phobia on a wall, several metres away for several minutes
2. hold the picture
3. stand up close to the phobia which is in a cage
4. touch the phobia whilst wearing gloves
5. hold the phobia in your hands

Question 4

what are the 2 types of SD

Answer 4

• in vivo = in real life
• in vitro = in imagination

Question 5

what are the +ve AO3 points for SD

Answer 5

• SD (systematic desensitisation) is one of the most successful psychological treatments to have ever been developed.
• The success rate has been found in meta-analyses to be around 75%.
• For people with a phobia of injections, research shows that SD can relieve the phobia in 90% of cases.
• According to psychologists, agoraphobia is one of the hardest phobias to treat yet meta-analyses have found high success rates (60-80%)
  -ve Unfortunately, research shows that relapses are common.

Combining treatments
- Research shows that combining SD with CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) or drug treatment is effective in relieving phobias.
- Burke et al found SD + medication was the best treatment for agoraphobia

Question 6

what are the -ve AO3 points for SD

Answer 6

• Psychodynamic psychologists claim that SD is not successful because it never tackles the underlying cause (in the unconscious mind, only accessible through psychotherapy)
• Evolutionary psychologists say that you cannot cure phobias with an evolutionary/genetic basis – linked to survival (dark, certain animals, heights) through these methods
• Relapses are common

Question 7

what are the aims + assumptions of flooding

Answer 7

• This is a controversial treatment whereby the individual is exposed to the feared-object in an intense non-graded way
• Based on the biological fact that our bodies eventually get exhausted – the stress response has to stop because adrenaline totally runs out

Question 8

what is an example of flooding

Answer 8

1. Client is placed alone in the phobic situation
2. Clients must remain there until anxiety decreases- (usually after about one hour adrenaline supplies deplete).
3. Emotional exhaustion sets in when the client eventually realises they are safe and nothing dreadful has happened to them.
4. The client should no longer have the phobia after this realisation

Question 9

what are the +ve AO3 points for flooding

Answer 9

• a quick treatment, only taking one session
• Consequently many clients – and healthcare providers – prefer it over other treatments.
• Saves money/cheap

Evidence:
- Curtis (1976) reports 12 patients successfully cured using flooding at the Maudsley institute in London
- The patients had either snake, bird (dead birds, live birds and feathers), spiders or wasp/bee phobia.

Question 10

what are the -ve AO3 points for flooding

Answer 10

Ethics:
- In vivo techniques are very dangerous and the ethics of such techniques are questionable!
- Even during in vitro techniques clients can suffer such high blood pressure that they are at risk of a heart attack because they are so stressed.
- Sometimes medical supervision is required.