The behavioural approach to treating phobias: Flooding

Question 1

Outline

Answer 1

This therapy involves immediately exposing the sufferer to the object of their fear.

Question 2

What happens?

Answer 2

Over the course of a couple of hours in the presence of the phobic stimulus, the conditioned response will eventually disappear or become extinct.

Question 3

Ethical safeguards

Answer 3

need to be followed so you need to ensure that you get the patients informed consent as it is a traumatic experience.

Question 4

Evaluation strength: it is cheap

Answer 4

Patients only have to pay for one session as opposed to multiple in systematic desensitisation.

Question 5

Evaluation weakness: not effective for all types

Answer 5

social phobias are not as well treated using exposure as they have a cognitive element to them.

Question 6

Evaluation weakness: traumatic

Answer 6

patients experience a high degree of psychological harm if they have to confront the object of their fear. (they may drop out)