evaluation for systematic desensitisation

Question 1

evaluation

it is effective

Answer 1

• SD is effective in the treatment of specific phobia
• Mcgrath
• reported that 75% of patients with phobias=respond to SD
• key to success lies with actual contact of the feared stimulus
• ‘in vivo’ techniques are more successful than ones just using pictures

Question 2

evaluation

it is acceptable to patients

Answer 2

• SD = patients prefer it
• those given the choice of SD or flooding prefer= because it does not cause the same degree of trauma as flooding
• In addition to = SD includes some elements e.g learning relaxation procedures that are actually pleasant

Question 3

evaluation

not appropriate for all phobias

Answer 3

• ohman at al
• suggests that SD may not be as effective as treating phobias that have an underlying evolutionary survival component
  e. g fear of the dark
• in comparison to a phobia which had been acquired as a result of personal experience