Chapter 24 Fear and Anxiety Reduction Procedures Flashcards
anxiety
A term used to describe respondent behaviour involving the activation of the autonomic nervous system (including rapid heart rate, shallow rapid breathing, and increased muscle tension). Autonomic arousal is an establishing operation that increases the probability of operant behaviour involving escape or avoidance responses. Typically, some event functions as a conditioned stimulus (CS) to elicit the autonomic arousal as a conditioned response (CR). The operant behaviour functions to escape from or avoid the CS.
attention-focussing exercises
A type of anxiety-reduction strategy in which one focuses attention on a pleasant or neutral stimulus to remove attention from the anxiety-producing stimulus.
behavioural relaxation training
A type of relaxation training in which one assumes a relaxed posture in all of the major muscle groups of the body to achieve relaxation.
contact desensitization
A form of in vivo desensitization in which the therapist provides reassuring physical contact, such as holding the client’s hand or placing a hand on the client’s back, as the client progresses through the hierarchy.
diaphragmatic breathing
A type of relaxation exercise in which one engages in slow, rhythmic breathing, using the diaphragm muscle o pull air deep into the lungs.
fear
Occurs when a stimulus situation elicits autonomic nervous system arousal and the individual engages in behaviour to avoid or escape from the stimulus situation.
flooding
A procedure in which the person is exposed to the feared stimulus at full intensity for a prolonged period until his or her anxiety subsides in the presence of the feared stimulus.
hierarchy
Used in systematic desensitization or in vivo desensitization procedures. In the hierarchy (also called a fear hierarchy), various fearful situations are listed in order from least to most fear-provoking. Each new situation in the hierarchy is only slightly more fear-provoking than the previous situation.
in vivo desensitization
A procedure for treating a fear or phobia. The client first learns relaxation. Next, the client develops a fear hierarchy in which fear-producing situations are ordered from least to most fear-producing. Finally, the client makes actual contact with the fear- producing situation at each step in the hierarchy in turn while maintaining relaxation as a response that is incompatible with the fear response.
phobia
A fear in which the level anxiety or escape and avoidance behaviour is severe enough to disrupt the person’s life.
progressive muscle relaxation (PMR)
A relaxation procedure in which the client learns to tense and relax each of the major muscle groups of the body. By this means, the client decreases muscle tension and autonomic arousal of the body.
relaxation training
A procedure for teaching a person the skills needed to decrease autonomic arousal (anxiety) by producing an incompatible state of relaxation. Progressive muscle relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing, attention-focusing exercises, and behavioural relaxation training are types of relaxation training procedures.
systematic desensitization
A procedure used to treat a fear or phobia. The person first learns relaxation. Next, the person develops a hierarchy of fear-producing situations. Finally, the person uses the relaxation procedure as he or she imagines each situation in the hierarchy, starting with the least fear-producing situation and gradually working up to the most fear producing situation. The goal is to replace the fear response with the relaxation response as each situation is imagined.
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