flooding

Question 1

flooding

Answer 1

a behavioural therapy in which a patient is immediately exposed to an extreme form of a phobic stimulus in order to reduce anxiety triggered by that stimulus
- across small number of long therapy sessions

e.g. arachnophobia large spider crawl over them for extended period

Question 2

how does it work?

Answer 2

stops phobic responses very quickly

without option of avoidance behaviour, patient quickly learns that the phobic stimulus is harmless. negative reinforcement cannot take place.

extinction- learned response extinguished when conditioned stimulus (e.g. dog) encountered without unconditioned stimulus (e.g. being bitten)- no longer produces conditioned response (fear)

in some cases relaxation- exhausted by fear response

Question 3

ethical safeguards

Answer 3

unpleasant experience so participants must give fully informed consent to procedure- fully prepared before flooding session
normally given choice between SD or flooding

Question 4

strength- cost-effective

Answer 4

ougrin 2011 comparing flooding to cog therapies- highly effective and quicker than alts

strength- quick effect means that patients free of their symptoms ASAP which makes the treatment cheaper

Question 5

limitation- less effective for some types

Answer 5

• highly effective for simple phobias but less for more complex e.g. social phobias
• social phobias cognitive aspects. doesn’t simply experience anxiety but thinks unpleasant thoughts about social situation.

may benefit more from cog therapies. tackle irrational thinking not just behavioural aspects.

Question 6

issue- traumatic

Answer 6

• highly traumatic.
• not unethical (consent) but patients often unwilling to see it through to the end.
• higher refusal and attrition rates

time and money sometimes wasted preparing patients to have them refuse to start or complete treatment.