Cognition: Systematic Desensitisation (Modifying Behaviour)

Question 1

Systematic Desensitisation

Answer 1

• A form of behaviour therapy based on the principles of classical conditioning, often used to deal with phobias and anxiety disorders. A learned response, such as fear of spiders, can be unlearned through classical conditioning, and substituted by a new relaxation response. It is also called counter conditioning

Question 2

Steps

Answer 2

• Learn relaxation (breathing techniques)
• Constructing an anxiety hierarchy
• Graded exposure: Pair relaxation with situations in hierarchy

Question 3

Hierarchy

Answer 3

Patients are asked to list 10-15 triggers of a specific phobia, from least frightening to most, on a scale of 0-10. This list is then used in graduated exposure, reducing anxiety felt at each item on the hierarchy

Question 4

Flooding

Answer 4

The patient is exposed to the stimulus directly in real life and confronts the stimulus all at once, the theory being that the inescapable exposure leads the person to recognise that the stimulus is not catastrophic and that they have the ability to deal with it