Flooding

Question 1

What is flooding? (2 points)

Answer 1

It is based on classical conditioning and learning a new association response to a feared object

Can take one of two forms: in-vivo (real-life exposure),or in-vitro (using VR)

Question 2

What are the 4 steps of flooding?

Answer 2

1. Patient is placed in a safe environment and confronted with their fear
2. Client will experience anxiety and distress (e.g. sweating, heart racing etc.) for a prolonged period of time
3. Symptoms will eventually subside and they will feel relaxed - the body cannot maintain a high level of arousal due to energy constraints
4. A new association is formed between feeling relaxed and their feared object/situation

Question 3

What is the strength of flooding as a treatment for phobias? (3 points)

Answer 3

Supported by Wolpe (1969)

Forced an adolescent girl with a fear of cars to be driven around continuously for four hours

Her anxiety resulted in hospitalisation but her fear was extinguished

Question 4

How credible is flooding as a treatment for phobias? (3 points)

Answer 4

Flooding is not ethical - patients are exposed to distress and anxiety for a long prolonged period of time

Their right to withdraw isn’t exercised but patients give their informed consent

Not useful if the patient has multiple phobias or multiple psychiatric disorders (co-morbidity)

Question 5

Are there any other explanations for flooding as a treatment for phobias? (4 points)

Answer 5

Might not be useful for people who have phobias that have a cognitive/unconscious cause.

Freud explained phobias in terms of displacement, suggesting that:
+ A person experiences anxiety arising from a complex situation which is hard to deal with (e.g. parental relationship)
+ Individual copes with it unconsciously by displacing their anxiety onto a simpler object or situation

Question 6

How can flooding be applied to real life as a treatment for phobias? (4 points)

Answer 6

Flooding is cost-effective

Quicker than systematic desensitisation - patients usually only require a few treatments

Suitable and affordable for a range of patients

Marks (1987) found that people with specific phobias can lose their fear after only 3 sessions of flooding