capafons Flashcards
what was the aim of capafons study
see if SD is a successful therapy for fear of flying
see whether flying reduced spontaneously without treatment
demonstrate that SD remains comparable in effectiveness with other therapies
what was the sample of capafons study
41 people with fear of flying
20 were randomly assigned to the treatment group
21 were assigned to the waiting control group
the groups were balanced in age, gender, strength of fear and some physical measures
volunteer sample
what were the variables of capafons study
IV- treatment/no treatment
DV- fear of flying (assessed using self report scales and interviews as well as physiological measures)
what was the design of capafons study
matched pairs
what were the physiological measures that were measured in capafons study
heart rate, muscular tension and skin temperature
what was the procedure of capafons study
- pps were intentionally interviewed by researchers to assess their fear
- physiological measures were taken whilst watching a video of someone else taking a flight
- further interviews to explain moving onto the treatment (therapy group) or for next assessment (control group)
- treatment took place at university
- 2 1hr sessions a week for patients in therapy group (between 12-15 over 8 weeks)
- treatment had 3 phases: 4 sessions of relaxation and imagination training, 2 sessions of elaboration of phobic stimulus, hierarchy work, 3-5 sessions of SD with ‘stop thinking’
- post treatment measures: measures taken after 2 flights out and return, 7 days after treatment physiological measures take place whilst watching video prior to take off
what were the results of capafons study
no significant differences between control group and treatment group prior to treatment
comparisons were made before and after treatment measures
what was the conclusion of capafons study
intervention programme reduced fear of flying in the treatment group
overall there was no corresponding reduction in fear in the control group showing that the passage of time wasn’t enough to remove fear
evaluate the generalisability of capafons study
limited due to sample use
41 pps who all had a fear of flying recruited via a media campaign offering free intervention
nature of sample means that findings may not apply to individuals with other types of phobias or those with existing fear of flying
evaluate the reliability of capafons study
high due to standardised procedures
study employed consistent and controlled measures to asses fear of flying, including self report scales, interviews and physiological measures
enhances reliability of findings as the treatment and measurement methods can be easily replicated
evaluate the applications of capafons study
practical applications for treating individuals with a fear of flying
demonstrates that SD effectively reduces fear of flying, success rate of 90% in treatment group
shows that SD can help people gradually confront their fears and reduce anxiety, making it a useful therapeutic approach for treating phobias
evaluate the validity of capafons study
strengthened by multiple measures to access the effectiveness of treatment
uses self report scales and physiological measures to assess fear of flying
physiological measures provide objective data while self reports capture capture pps personal experience making it less likely that findings are influences by bias or inaccuracy
evaluate the ethics of capafons study
ethically sound due to informed consent and right to withdraw
pps were fully informed about the nature of the study, SD and potential risks involved, they were informed they could withdraw from study without penalty
ethical practices demonstrate the study adhered to ethical guidelines by prioritising pps welfare during research
