Systematic Desensitisation

Question 1

What are the main componants?

Answer 1

Counter-conditioning
Desensitisation higherarchy
Different forms

Question 2

How is counterconditioning used?

Answer 2

Client is taught relaxation techniques which counteract the phobia so teach a new association

Question 3

What kind of conditioning is used?

Answer 3

Classical conditioning

Question 4

How does the desentitisation higherarchy work?

Answer 4

Steps are constructed with each causing more fear

Move onto next step when relaxed

Question 5

What are the different forms of SD?

Answer 5

In vivo
In vitro
Modelling

Question 6

What is in vivo SD?

Answer 6

The client confronts their phobia directly

Question 7

What is in vitro SD?

Answer 7

The client imagines the presence of their phobia

Question 8

How is modelling used?

Answer 8

The client watches someone else interact with the phobia

Question 9

Are in vivo or in vitro techniques more effective?

Answer 9

In vivo

Question 10

Who found that in vivo techniques were more effective than in vitro?

Answer 10

Menzies and Clark

Question 11

What points can be made about effectiveness?

Answer 11

Supporting research
Not appropriate for all phobias
Biological prepardness
Symptom submission

Question 12

What is supporting research for effectiveness?

Answer 12

Capafons: Clients had less fear in a flight simulator after 12-25 weeks of in vivo and in vitro treatment

Question 13

How long was the treatment period in the Capafons study? (Research supporting effectiveness)

Answer 13

12-25 weeks

Question 14

How is it not appropriate for all phobias?

Answer 14

Not effective with generalised or ancient fears. Seligman says people are programmed to quickly make associations with life-threatening things from our past

Question 15

What is biological prepardness?

Answer 15

People are less likely to get phobias of modern objects as they were not a threat in the EEA. Fear more readily associated with living animals which is supported by Bregman

Question 16

What is the research support biological prepardness

Answer 16

Bregman failed to condition fear of wooden blocks by pairing it with a loud bell

Question 17

Who came up with biological prepardness?

Answer 17

Seligman

Question 18

How can phobias be symptom submission?

Answer 18

Problems in other areas of life manifest as phobias so by treating the phobia you don’t treat the realy cause.

Question 19

What is an example of symptom submission?

Answer 19

Freud found a boy who was scared of horses. When the boy accepted the jealousy he had for his dad, the phobia went away.

Question 20

What are the ethical issues?

Answer 20

Anxiety is controlled

Valid consent

Question 21

How is anxiety controlled?

Answer 21

The client doesn’t move onto the next stage until they are completely comfortable. They are taught relaxation which counteracts the anxiety.

Question 22

Why is valid consent not an issue?

Answer 22

Most clients are mentally healthy and in touch with reality enough to give valid consent and understnad their right to withdraw. They are normally there of their own free will.

Question 23

What assumptions can be applied?

Answer 23

All behaviour is learnt

Conditioning

Question 24

How can the assumption that all behaviour is learnt be applied to SD?

Answer 24

We gain phobias through faulty learning so we can re-learn healthy ways of responding to the stimulus.

Question 25

How can the assumption of conditioning be applied to SD?

Answer 25

Classical conditioning is used as it is assumed a fear association is learned to a stimulus. The relaxation counteracts the fear response and a new association is learned.