The Behavioural Approach To Treating Phobias - Flooding

Question 1

What is flooding?

Answer 1

Exposing phobic patients to their phobic stimulus without a gradual buildup in an anxiety hierarchy.
Involves immediate exposure to the phobic stimulus

Question 2

Does flooding stop phobias quickly or slowly?

Answer 2

Quickly as the phobic patients learn very quickly that the phobic stimulus is harmless

Question 3

Explain how extinction of a phobia occurs?

Answer 3

A learned response is extinguished when the conditioned stimulus is encountered without the unconditioned stimulus.
The conditioned stimulus is now no longer producing the conditioned response ( fear )

Question 4

How does the extinction occur relating to the parasympathetic branch?

Answer 4

Patient will panic but as they realise there is no danger occurring to them the panic gradually decreases —> Parasympathetic branch results in relaxation as the sympathetic is not being active as the fear and anxiety is decreasing