Describe and evaluate the behavioural approach to the treatment of phobias

Question 1

outline 1

Answer 1

Systematic desensitisation is based on counter conditioning because the patient is taught a new association that runs counter to the original association.

The client is taught to relax through breathing exercises and muscle control. Then the client would be asked to develop a fear hierarchy.

Here the therapist and client agree on stages of exposure to the feared object that are increasingly unpleasant.
For example, if someone had a fear of spiders, this would range from holding a picture of a cartoon spider to holding a real live spider.

The client starts at the lowest level of the hierarchy, learns to relax and can only move up the hierarchy once they are completely relaxed in its presence.

This continues until the fear is no longer present. The client learns to associate the object with relaxation rather than fear (classical conditioning).

At each step, the patient is desensitised to the phobia.

Question 2

outline 2

Answer 2

Flooding may also be used. This involves putting the individual in a situation where they are forced to face their phobia immediately, as opposed to gradual exposure.

It is just one long session with the therapist where the patient experiences the phobia at its worst, whilst practising relaxation techniques.

The session continues until the patient is fully relaxed.

Vivo exposure involves presenting the feared object/situation itself and vitro exposure involves imaginary exposure.

Question 3

strength SD

Answer 3

A strength of SD is that it is suggested to be more effective than other therapies.

This is because SD is less traumatic than other behavioural therapies (e.g. flooding), as SD utilises gradual exposure and relaxation techniques.

This is reflected in lower refusal and drop-out (attrition) rates for SD.

This suggests that the main features of SD (e.g. gradual exposure) makes it an effective therapy for phobias.

Question 4

limit sd

Answer 4

Systematic desensitisation can take a long time to be effective.

This is because it involves gradual exposure to fearful situations/objects over a long period.

Therefore, many sessions may be required for an abnormality to be desensitised; this can be expensive compared to some alternative therapies.

Question 5

flooding strength

Answer 5

A strength of flooding as a treatment for phobias is that it has strong supporting research evidence.

Wolpe (1973) forced an adolescent girl with a fear of cars into the back of a car and drove her around continuously for four hours: her fear reached hysterical heights but then receded and, by the end of the journey, had completely disappeared.

This suggests that although flooding may initially be distressing for the patient, it is an effective therapy if the patient remains in treatment.

Question 6

flooding limit

Answer 6

A limitation of flooding as a treatment for phobias is that although it requires the patients informed consent, it may still cause psychological harm.

This is because the treatment involves subjecting clients to intense fear and anxiety, which they have the right to not experience.

For example, flooding requires the client to visualise or experience intense feared situations; which might also explain why dropout (attrition) rates tend to be particularly high for this therapy.

This suggests that other behavioural therapies such as systematic desensitisation may be more effective in treating phobias.