The behavioural approach to treating phobias

Question 1

What is systematic desensitisation?

Answer 1

• a behavioural therapy designed to gradually reduce phobic anxiety through classical conditioning

Question 2

What are the three steps of systematic desensitisation?

Answer 2

• anxiety hierarchy: A client and therapist come up with situations related to their to their phobia and arrange them from least to most frightening
• relaxation: The therapist teaches the client to relax as deeply as possible whilst being afraid. This is called reciprocal inhibition
• Exposure: the client is exposed to the phobic stimulus starting at the bottom of the anxiety hierarchy

Question 3

What is flooding?

Answer 3

• exposing people to a phobia without the initial build up
• this means the client has no option of avoidance and has to face their phobia, leading to extinction of the conditioned stimulus to an unconditioned stimulus

Question 4

Give two strengths of systematic desensitisation

Answer 4

• evidence for its effectiveness, Gilroy et al followed up 42 people who had SD for a spider phobia. At both 3 and 33 months they were less fearful than the other control group
• Another strength is that it can be used for people with learning disabilities as it doesnt involve complex cognitive techniques

Question 5

What is the weakness of SD

Answer 5

• it is very costly

Question 6

Evaluate the use of flooding

Answer 6

s: It is cost effective and normally can occur in as little as one session, saving money and giving more people access to it
L: It is a highly unpleasant expierence and can cause extreme anxiety. It also has the ethical issue of lack of informed consent