The Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias Flashcards
What is one of the main reasons that phobias persist according to the behaviorist approach
Patients avoid the phobic stimulus and therefore there is no opportunity to learn that the feared stimulus is not fearful
Who developed systematic desensitisation
Joseph Wolpe
What is the base theory of systematic desensitisation
Counterconditioning as the patient is taught a new association that runs counter to the original association
How is systematic desensitisation done
The patient is taught through classical conditioning to associate the phobic stimulus with a new response, usually relaxation rather than anxiety, until the patient is desensitized.
First the therapist teaches the patient relaxation techniques, then the patient is introduced to the fear stimulus one step at a time so that it isn’t overwhelming. At each stage the patient practises relaxation so the situation becomes more familiar and less anxiety inducing.
What did Wolpe call the power of relaxation to inhibit the response of anxiety
Reciprocal inhibition
How has resarch suppoted the effectiveness of systematic desensitization
McGrath et al reported that about 75% of patients with phobias respond to SD. The key appears to be actual contact with the fear stimulus, so in reality techinques are more effective than ones with just pictures of the feared stimulus. Modelling can also be used, where the patient watches someone else who is coping with the fear stimulus
What phobias might SD be less effective at treating
Ohman et al suggests that SD may be less effective in treating phobias with an underlying survival component such as fear of the dark or fear of hights, which limits the uses of SD
Who suggested that SD may be less effective for phobias with a survival component
Ohman
Who reported high effectiveness of SD on phobias
McGrath reported 75% of patients with phobias respond to SD
How does flooding work
The patient is immersed in their fear in a long session until the person’s anxiety has disappeared. Can be done irl or in virtual reality.
Why does flooding work
A person’s fear response has a time limit, as adrenaline levels naturally decrease over time, and as anxiety decreases a new stimulus-response link can be learned, with the feared stimulus now associated with a non-anxious response
Why is flooding more convenient for some patients
Flooding can be much quicker and more cost effective than SD or CBT, while also being an effective treatment. For example, Choy et al reported that both SD and flooding were effective at treating phobias, but that flooding was the most effective of the two. Flooding can also be done over a single session which means that a patient doesn’t have to pay a ton.
Why might flooding leave a patient with more trauma
Flooding can be a highly traumatic procedure and people may decide to quit during the treatment, which lowers effectiveness and can lead to a worse phobia when they started. Inidvidual differences can therefore limit the effectiveness of the therapy
Why migh behavioural therapies only treat the symptoms not the underlying problem
If symptoms are removed the cause remains and symptoms will just resurface, possibly as a different phobia. For example, Freud though phobias develop because of projection, and so to cure a phobia you must deal with the underlying reasons for projection, for example with little hans this was accepting feelings over his father to get past a horse phobia. Freud is outdated
Why might the relaxation techniques not even be necessary for phobia success
It oculd be exposure to the fear object rather than the relaxation. It could also be the expectation of being able to deal with fear objects which creates treatment. Klein et al compared SD with supportive psychotherapy for patients with either social or specific therapies. They found no difference in effectiveness, suggesting that the active ingredient may be the hopeful expectation of overcoming the phobia
Who found no difference in effectiveness between SD and supportive psychotherapy in phobia treatment
Klein et al
Who reported that flooding was more important than SD
Choy et al
