Systematic Desensitisation and Flooding

Question 1

What is systematic desensitisation?

Answer 1

A behavioural therapy developed which reduces phobias through classical conditioning

Question 2

How does SD work?

Answer 2

It replaces the negative behavioural responses to a phobia with relaxed responses.

People cannot feel two opposite emotions at the same time, e.g fear and relaxation, reciprocal inhibition.

Question 3

What are the 3 stages of systematic desensitisation?

Answer 3

1. Anxiety Hierarchy - patient and psychologist with situations including phobic objects ranked from least to most fearful
2. Relaxation Training - Patients taught deep muscle relation, e.g progressive muscular relaxation (PMR), tighten and contract muscles from feet up while imagining relaxing situations
3. Gradual Exposure - Patient introduced to their phobic object and begin working their way up the anxiety hierarchy and use relaxation techniques when with the phobic object

Question 4

Weaknesses of SD?

Answer 4

Critics suggest that symptoms merely are the tip of the iceberg and underlying phobias can return and in future they will come back or symptom substitution will occur

Question 5

Strengths of SD?

Answer 5

Klosko et al supports SD, he assed therapies for treatment of panic disorders and found 87% were panic free after SD compared to 50% on medication, 36% on placebo and 33% with no treatment

Question 6

What is flooding?

Answer 6

Directly exposing the patient to their phobic object

Question 7

What will patients be taught before-hand when flooding?

Answer 7

Relaxation techniques, e.g deep muscle relaxation, deep breathing and meditation, they would also give informed consent

Question 8

What does flooding involve?

Answer 8

• Immediate exposure to a frightening situation, can be done real or virtual in hopes for the patient to understand the phobic object is harmless and extinction occurs
• Sessions usually last 2-3 hours

Question 9

Strength of Flooding?

Answer 9

Wolpe (1960) used flooding where a girl who was afraid of cars was forced into a car and driven around for 4 hours, she eventually calmed down and realised there was nothing harmful

Question 10

Weakness of flooding?

Answer 10

Disadvantage is a highly traumatic experience is used where patients may be unwilling to go to the end, leading to a waste of money and time. Flooding is also not available to children for this reason.