Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias Flashcards
behavioural approach to treating phobias
3
behaviour is learned, therefore it can be unlearned
phobias can be treated through counter conditioning, a form of classical conditioning, which replaces the anxiety caused by the feared stimulus with relaxation
2 therapies involved in the behavioural approach to treating phobias….
• systematic desensitisation
• flooding
what is systematic desensitisation?
2
a form of behavioural therapy used to treat phobias and other anxiety disorders
involves a client being gradually exposed to the phobic stimulus under relaxed conditions until the anxiety reaction is extinguished and they feel relaxed in the presence of their most feared stimulus
what is flooding?
3
a form of behavioural therapy used to treat phobias and other anxiety disorders
involves a client being exposed to an extreme form of the phobic stimulus under relaxed conditions until the anxiety reaction is extinguished
one single intense exposure to the phobic stimulus
explain systematic desensitisation
8
developed by Wolpe (1958)
patient is taught relaxation techniques such as focusing on breathing, taking slow deep breaths, relaxing muscles or picturing a peaceful scene
patient creates a desensitisation hierarchy from least to most fearful stimuli, each one causes a little more anxiety than the last
they are introduced to the feared stimulus gradually, one step at a time rather than all at once, working their way through the hierarchy — once one stage is complete they move onto the next
at each stage, relaxation techniques are used so the situation becomes less overwhelming and their anxiety diminishes
they are taught, through classical conditioning, to associate the phobic stimulus with a new response of relaxation — known as counter conditioning
their anxiety is reduced and they are ‘desensitised’ because the relaxation response inhibits the anxiety response — this is called reciprocal inhibition, as the two states are mutually exclusive
can be done in vivo (actual contact with the stimulus) or in vitro (using pictures or imagining the stimulus)
explain flooding
6
can be conducted in vivo (actual exposure) or virtual reality
the patient is taught relaxation techniques which will be applied in the session
involves one long and intense session where the patient is exposed to their phobia in its worst form while practising relaxation techniques — their fear is flooded
this session usually continues for around 2-3 hours, or until the patient is fully relaxed in the presence of their phobic stimulus
this is because the fear response has a time limit, fear naturally decreases over time and relaxation can eventually be associated with the feared stimulus rather than anxiety
for example, a person with a phobia of clowns may be placed in a room full of them until they completely relax and anxiety disappears
x3 evaluation points for systematic desensitisation
research support
not always appropriate
quick with little effort
systematic desensitisation evaluation
RESEARCH SUPPORT
4
a strength is that there is research supporting the effectiveness of systematic desensitisation in treating phobias
research has found that it is successful for a range of phobic disorders
McGrath reported that about 75% of patients with phobias respond well to systematic desensitisation
other research has shown that in vivo techniques involving actual contact with the feared stimulus tend to be very effective
systematic desensitisation evaluation
NOT ALWAYS APPROPRIATE
4
a limitation is that systematic desensitisation may not be appropriate for treating all phobias
research has suggested that SD may not be as effective in treating phobias that have an underlying evolutionary survival component, such as fear of heights or dangerous animals
because if we longer fear them, we may put ourselves in danger, which is not good in terms of survival
it may only effectively treat phobias that have been acquired as a result of personal experience, as there is a learned association that can be unlearned
systematic desensitisation evaluation
QUICK WITH LITTLE EFFORT
4
a strength is that SD is relatively fast and requires little effort on the patient’s part compared to other psychotherapies
for example, CBT requires a lot of willpower from the patient in trying to understand their behaviour and apply these insights to their day to day lives
SD does not require this much effort, making it quicker and therefore cheaper than other therapies
furthermore, as SD does not focus on thinking in the same way as CBT, it can be useful for people who lack insight into their motivations or emotions — for example, children or people with learning difficulties
x3 evaluation points for flooding
quicker than SD
ethical issues
individual differences
flooding evaluation
QUICKER THAN SD
5
a strength of flooding is that it is much quicker than SD
it does not require the patient to gradually work their way through a fear hierarchy
it only requires one session of exposure to the feared stimulus which usually lasts between 2 and 3 hours, whereas other therapies take multiple sessions
this makes it much cheaper and more convenient for people who may not be able to dedicate a lot of time to therapy
Choy et al reported that flooding is more effective in treating phobias than SD
flooding evaluation
ETHICAL ISSUES
4
a limitation is that flooding may be unethical as it causes high levels of stress and anxiety
the patient is exposed to the worst form of their fear all at once, without being gradually introduced to it like in SD
this can be very traumatic for the patient and as the treatment is not guaranteed to work, this extreme anxiety may not be worthwhile
HOWEVER, this may not be an appropriate issue to raise since the patient has consented and chosen to undertake this therapy, knowing what it involves
flooding evaluation
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
5
another limitation is that flooding does not consider individual differences
every patient faces the same therapy session in flooding, unlike in SD in which the fear hierachy is personal to the individual
consequently, flooding may not be the most suitable therapy for every patient
especially since it can be a highly traumatic experience which can cause many to quit during treatment
this reduces the ultimate effectiveness of flooding as a therapy
