the behavioural approach to treating phobias

Question 1

what are the two approaches to treating phobias?

Answer 1

• systematic desensitisation
• flooding

Question 2

what is systematic desensitisation

Answer 2

SD is a behavioural therapy designed to gradually reduce phobic anxiety through the principle of classical conditioning. if the sufferer can learn to relax in the presence of the phobic stimulus they will be cured.

Question 3

counterconditioning

Answer 3

the basis of the therapy is counterconditioning because the patient is taught a new association that runs counter to the original association. the patient is taught, through classical conditioning to asssociate the phobic stimulus with a new response i.e. relaxation instead of fear. in this way, they are desensitised.

Question 4

reciprocal inhibition

Answer 4

wolpe also called counterconditioning reciprocal inhibition because the response of relaxation inhibits the response of anxiety.

Question 5

what are the processes involved in SD?

Answer 5

• the anxiety hierarchy
• relaxation
• exposure

Question 6

the anxiety hierarchy

Answer 6

put together by the patient and the therapist- a series of imagined scenes, each one causing a little more anxiety than the previous one.

Question 7

relaxation

Answer 7

the first thing that the therapist does is to teach the patient relaxation techniques. relaxation can be achieved by the patient focusing on their breathing and taking slow, deep breaths.

Question 8

exposure

Answer 8

SD works by gradually introducing the person to the feared situation one step at a time so it is not as overwhelming. treatment is succesful when the patient can stay relaxed in situations high on the anxiety hierarchy.

Question 9

what is flooding?

Answer 9

a behavioural therapy, whereby instead of introducing the phobic object in a gradual progression using a hierarchy, the patient is immersed in the experience in one long session, experiencing their phobia at its worst.

Question 10

how does flooding work?

Answer 10

a person’s fear response has a time limit. as adrenaline levels naturally decrease, a new stimulus-response link can be larned- the feared stimulus is now asociated with a non-anxious response. in terms of classical conditioning, this is called extinction.

Question 11

ethical safeguards of flooding

Answer 11

flooding is not unethical per se but it is an unpleasant experience so it is crucial patients give fully informed consent to this traumatic procedure and that they are fully prepared before the flooding session.

Question 12

weakness

evaluation point

Answer 12

a crucial consideration is the potential phenomenon of symptom substitution. critics argue that merely addressing the observable symptoms may not suffice, as the underlying causes of the phobia may remain unresolved.

Question 13

evaluation evidence

Answer 13

this notion is substantiated by psychoanalytic perspectives, such as Freud’s account of Little Hans, wherein a phobia of horses stemmed from deeper issues of envy towards his father.
hence, without addressing these underlying psychological factors, there is a risk of symptom substitution, where the alleviation of one phobia could lead to the emergence of another.

Question 14

evaluation counter evidence

Answer 14

despite mixed evidence supporting this phenomenon, behavioural therapists typically dismiss the idea, emphasising the importance of directly targeting and treating the root causes of phobias rather than solely focusing on symptom management.

Question 15

evaluation

Answer 15

thus, while behavioural therapies excel in symptom reduction, their efficacy may be limited if they fail to address the underlying psychological complexities driving phobic behaviours.

Question 16

weakness of flooding

Answer 16

individual differences; not for every patient. it can be a highly traumatic procedure.