Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias

Question 1

What is SD?

Answer 1

Behavioural therapy designed to gradually reduce phobic stimulus through the principle of classical conditioning

Question 2

What does SD suggest?

Answer 2

-If the sufferer can learn to relax in the presence of the phobic stimulus, then a new response (relaxation instead of anxiety) is learned, and the phobia is cured.
-This learning of a different response is called counter-conditioning.

Question 3

What does SD aim to do?

Answer 3

replace a faulty association between the conditioned stimulus and conditioned response that has resulted in a phobic response

Question 4

In SD why does one emotion prevent the other and what is it called?

Answer 4

As it is impossible to be afraid and relaxed at the same time
-This is called reciprocal inhibition.

Question 5

What are the two types of SD?

Answer 5

In vivo and in vitro

Question 6

What is in vivo?

Answer 6

where the individual is exposed to the actual phobic object or situation

Question 7

What are the three processes involved in SD?

Answer 7

-Relaxation
-The anxiety hierarchy
-Gradual Exposure

Question 8

What is relaxation based on?

Answer 8

the idea of reciprocal inhibition

Question 9

What is relaxation?

Answer 9

the therapist teaches the patient to relax as deeply as possible.

Question 10

What may relaxation involve?

Answer 10

-breathing exercises e.g. might be taught the 7/11 technique, which is a breathing exercise where you breathe in for a count of 7 and out for a count 11

Question 11

What is the 7/11 relaxation method used for?

Answer 11

-used to help people relax and gain composure in a variety of
situations

Question 12

What may patients alternatively learn instead of the 7/11 technique?

Answer 12

mental imagery techniques- Patients can be taught to imagine themselves in relaxing situations (such as imagining lying on a beach) or they might learn meditation.

Question 13

What is the anxiety hierarchy?

Answer 13

-put together by the client and therapist.
-list of situations related to the phobia that provoke anxiety arranged in order from least to most frightening
-e.g. spider phobic may identify seeing a picture of a small spider as low on their anxiety hierarchy and holding a tarantula at the top of the hierarchy.

Question 14

What is gradual exposure?

Answer 14

-finally the patient is gradually exposed to the phobic stimulus
while in a relaxed state

Question 15

How long does gradual exposure take?

Answer 15

This takes place across several sessions, starting at the bottom of the anxiety hierarchy.

Question 16

When do patients move up the hierarchy?

Answer 16

When the patient can stay relaxed in the presence of the lower levels of the phobic stimulus

Question 17

When is treatment successful (gradual exposure)?

Answer 17

Treatment is successful when the patient can stay relaxed in situations high on the anxiety hierarchy

Question 18

What is the aim of flooding?

Answer 18

to expose the sufferer to the phobic object or situation for an extended period of time in a safe and controlled environment.

Question 19

What does flooding only treat?

Answer 19

learnt phobias

Question 20

What does flooding involve (immediate exposure to the phobic stimulus)?

Answer 20

flooding involves bombarding the phobic patient with the phobic object (in-vivo exposure) until person is calm +does not fear the stimulus, without a gradual build up.
-So spider phobic (arachnophobic)
receiving flooding treatment may have a large spider crawl over their hand until they can relax fully.

Question 21

Why are flooding sessions longer that SD sessions?

Answer 21

-flooding sessions are typically longer than SD sessions, one session often lasting two to three hours (due to bombarding)
-Sometimes only one long session is needed to cure a phobia.

Question 22

Why can’t you leave in flooding?

Answer 22

you sign away your right to withdraw

Question 23

What is Exhaustion of fear response?

Answer 23

-without the option of avoidance behaviour, the patient quickly learns that the phobic object is harmless through the exhaustion of
their fear response.
-This is known as extinction.

Question 24

What is extinction in CC terms?

Answer 24

the result is that the conditioned stimulus (spider) no longer produces the conditioned response (fear)

Question 25

In some cases why may the patient achieve relaxation in the presence of the phobic stimulus?

Answer 25

simply because they become exhausted by their own fear response

Question 26

What is prevention of avoidance?

Answer 26

-avoidance behaviours maintain the phobia as the phobic cannot learn that the thing they fear is not harmful. -So, stopping the phobic patient
from making their usual avoidance responses is necessary to prevent reinforcement of the phobia.

Question 27

Why do both SD and Flooding (especially) work?

Answer 27

they prevent avoidance

Question 28

Why is it important that patients give informed consent? (ethical safeguards)

Answer 28

Flooding is not unethical but is an unpleasant experience

Question 29

Why might the client be trained in relaxation techniques before exposure?

Answer 29

so that they are able to control their fearful response