phobias - treatments based on learning theories Flashcards
what occurs in SD ?
a new response to a stimulus is learned by pairing it with the response of relaxation instead of anxiety (counterconditioning)
how does SD effective ?
you cannot be afraid and relaxed at the same time and so one emotion prevents the other
what is the anxiety hierarchy ?
1) constructed by client and therapist
2) a list of situations related to phobic stimulus is ranked in order of least to most frightening
how is relaxation created ?
1) teaches the client to relax deeply - e.g. breathing exercises, meditation or mental imager (imagining themselves in relaxing situations)
2) relaxation can also be achieved with drugs (e.g. valium)
after relaxation has been created, what happens next ?
1) client is exposed to the phobic stimulus (while relaxed) in several sessions, starting from the bottom of the hierarchy
2) when client stayed relaxed in the presence of the lower levels of the phobic stimulus, they move up the hierarchy
when is the treatment successful ?
treatment is successful when the client can stay relaxed in situations high on the anxiety hierarchy
what happens in flooding ?
phobic clients exposed immediately to full phobic stimulus instead of gradual build-up in anxiety hierarchy
what are flooding sessions usually like ?
flooding sessions are typically longer than SD (2-3 hours) - sometimes only one session is needed to cure the phobia
how does flooding work ?
1) flooding stops phobic stimulus quickly - client cannot avoid the phobic stimulus so learns it is harmless
2) this process is extinction - learned response is extinguished when the CS (e.g. a dog) is encountered without the UCS (e.g. being bitten) so the CS no longer produces the CR (fear)
3) client may achieve relaxation in the presence of the phobic stimulus because they become exhausted by their own fear response
what are the ethical safeguards in flooding ?
flooding is not unethical per se but it is unpleasant so it is important that clients give fully informed consent and that they are fully prepared before the flooding session (must be given the choice of SD or flooding)
strength of SD ?
- effective in treating specific phobias
- Gilroy et al. (2003) compared clients receiving SD for spider phobia with controls
what were the findings of Gilroy et al. (2003) ?
3 months and 33 months after treatment the SD group were less fearful than the controls
what does Gilroy et al. (2003) show ?
this shows that SD is helpful in reducing the anxiety in phobias
what is a weakness of SD ?
it is not effective or suitable in all cases
when is SD not potentially helpful/effective ?
clients with multiple phobias or trauma symptoms may benefit from other therapies - e.g. they could explore experiences or alter their thought patterns (irrational thoughts - cognitive element)
