Behavioural Treatments For Phobias

Question 1

Systematic Desensitisation AO1

Answer 1

• behavioural therapy developed by Wolpe (1958) to reduce phobias using classical conditioning
• person expericnes fear due to a phobic object, SD replaces fear ewith relaxed responses.
• idea is that its impossibke to experience two opposite emotions at the same time: reciprocal inhibition
  When the patient learns to remain relaxed in the presence of the phobia, they can be cured, counter-conditioning
  STEPS:
  1. anxiety hierarchy, hierarchy of fear is made by patient and therapist, ranking them, from least to most.

2. Relaxation techniques, such as PMR and deep muscle relaxation. PMR tenses muscles then relaxes them after a few seconds of extreme tension. Patients are also asked to sit with their eyes closed and asked to breathe deeply and meditate
3. Gradual exposure, the patient is gradually exposed to phobic object and works their way up the hierarchy starting w least frightening. When they feel comfortable, they moves on to the next stage, gradually fear is eliminated

Question 2

SD evaluation

Answer 2

+ jones (1924) supports the use of SD to remove little peter’s phobia of a white rabbit. He developed affection for the white rabbit at the end after being gradually exposed.

+ Klosko (1990) supports the use of SD. He assessed various therapies for treatment of panic disorders and found that 87% patients were panic free after SD, 50% on meds

_ SD is time consuming when compared to alternatives like flooding, as the patient needs to be trained in relaxation and gradual exposure

_ progress in SD may not be generalised out side of a clinical setting without the therapist’s support, may not be the best way

Question 3

Flooding AO1

Answer 3

• involves exposing the patient to the phobic object straight away.
• still, patients are taught relaxation like meditation etc, but there is NO gradual build up using anxiety hierarchy.
• flooding is immediate exposure of frightening objects and situations.
• can be done irl and virtual.
• stops responses very quickly as the patient has no other option but to quickly learn the object is harmless and not avoid it., EXTINCTION then occurs
• some cases, patients may experience relaxation bc they are exhausted by their own fear response
• ethical, even though can cause psychological harm

needs full informed consent so they are prepped
- patients are given a choice of either flooding or SD
- flooding sessions last 2-3 hours, longe

Question 4

Flooding evaluation

Answer 4

+ wolpe (1960) used flooding to remove a phobia of being in cars, the girl was forced into a car and driven around for hours until her hysteria calmed down, it worked

_ it is a highly traumatic experience and many may be unwilling to continue till the end, time and money may be wasted if patients don’t want to continue. UNSUITABLE for children

_ BOTH treatments address symptoms of phobias. some researchers claim that the underlying causes of phobias will still remain in the future. In the future SYMPTOM SUBSTITUTION will occur.