Behavioural Therapies

Question 1

What are the 2 types of behavioural therapies?

Answer 1

Systematic desensitisation and flooding

Question 2

What are the features of systematic desensitisation?

Answer 2

• Behavioural therapy designed to gradually reduce phobic energy through classical conditioning
• Uses counter-conditioning to unlearn maladaptive response to object/situation by eliciting another response (relaxation)
• Reciprocal inhibition

Question 3

What is reciprocal inhibition?

Answer 3

States that 2 emotional states cannot exist at the same time (fear and relaxation = relaxation takes over)

Question 4

What are the 3 parts to the process of systematic desensitisation?

Answer 4

• Develop fear hierarchy, rank phobic situations 1-10
• Individual taught relaxation techniques
• Exposed to phobic situation while relaxed, move up rankings until relaxed in most feared one

Question 5

What are the features of flooding?

Answer 5

• Exposed to the most frightening situation immediately
• Unable to avoid
• Extinction - learn phobic stimulus is harmless

Question 6

What are the 2 types of exposure?

Answer 6

• In vivo - actual exposure
• In vitro - imaginary exposure