Capafons - contemporary

Question 1

Aims

Answer 1

• To test whether systematic desensitisation is effective as a therapeutic technique for treating fear of flying (aerophobia).

Question 2

Sample

Answer 2

• 41 ppts recruited through a media campaign
• 20 in treatment group
• 21 in control (waiting list) group.
• all had severe fear of flying
• matched for age, sex, phobia severity -

Question 3

DV

Answer 3

• The level of fear of flying, measured through:
• Self-report questionnaires (e.g., Fear of Flying Scale)
• Physiological responses (e.g., heart rate, muscle tension)
• Behavioural indicators during a simulated flight video.

Question 4

IV

Answer 4

• Whether the participant received systematic desensitisation therapy or was placed in the control group (no treatment).

Question 5

Procedure

Answer 5

• Pre-test: All participants shown video of a flight, while their physiological and self-reported fear responses were measured. (Heart rate, palm temperature and muscular tension whilst participants watched a video of a plane trip.)
• The treatment group received systematic desensitisation over 12-15 weeks (relaxation training + gradual exposure to flight-related stimuli).
• The control group received no treatment (waiting list).
• Post-test: All participants watched the flight video again and were measured using the same techniques as before.

Question 6

Results

Answer 6

• The treatment group showed a significant reduction in self-reported fear, anxiety, and physiological signs of stress. (EG: fear during flight 25.6 -> 13.3)
• The control group showed no significant change.

Question 7

Conclusion

Answer 7

• Systematic desensitisation is a successful and effective treatment for individuals with aerophobia. The therapy helps reduce both psychological and physiological signs of fear in real-time flight-related scenarios.

Question 8

Generalisability

Answer 8

P- reasonable generalisability within its context.
E- sample included 41 participants with varying ages and both genders, all suffering from a clinically diagnosed fear of flying.
E- Results useful for understanding aerophobia
CP- Might not be generalisability to people with different phobias// volunteers may be motivated to recover so try harder

Question 9

Reliabiity

Answer 9

P- High Standardised procedure
E- Both groups underwent the same simulated flight test and completed the same questionnaires before and after the therapy.
E- This consistency in method allows the study to be easily replicated, which strengthens the reliability of the results.
CP- low as small sample : If replicated could gain different findings as anomolies may affect overall stats on recovery

Question 10

Application

Answer 10

P- High
E- demonstrates that systematic desensitisation is an effective way to treat aerophobia.
E- means therapists and clinicians can use the findings to support the use of desensitisation in real-world therapy, especially for phobias involving specific stimuli like flying.

Question 11

Validity

Answer 11

P- high internal validity.
E- It used a control group (waiting list), pre- and post-testing, and both subjective and objective measures (self-reports + physiological data).
E- This controls for extraneous variables and allows for a more accurate conclusion that the therapy caused the improvement, not other factors.

Question 12

Ethics

Answer 12

P- ethically sound
E- volunteer sample and informed consent obtained
E- use of ethical guidelines ensures that participants were treated respectfully, and any anxiety caused was mild and temporary.