the behvaioural approach to treating phobias

Question 1

what is systematic desentisation?

Answer 1

behaviour therapy to reduce phobic anxiety
through classical conditoning
- learn to relax in prsenece of phobia
-phobic stimulus paired with relaxation instead of anxiety
-called counterconditoning

Question 2

first process in SD?

Answer 2

-anxiety hierarchy=
-list of situ related to the phobia stimulus
-that provoke anxiety from least frightening to most
-e.g pic of spider low and holding trantula high

Question 3

second process in SD?

Answer 3

• relaxation=
  -relax deeply
  -cant be relaxed and afraid at the same time
  -reciprocal inhibtion
  -relaxtion= breathing excercises
  -clients need to imagine themselves in calm situ
  -learn meditation
  -use drugs e.g valium

Question 4

third process in SD?

Answer 4

-exposure=
-exposed to stimulus in relaxed state
-across several sessions
-beginning at the bottom of hierarchy
-when relaxed at the bottom of hierarchy they can start to move up
-treatment sucessful when relaxed at the top of hierarchy

Question 5

why does SD actually work?

Answer 5

-because of ‘reciprocal inhibiton’
-two emotional states contradict eachother so one has to cancel the other out
-no one can scream and cry and feel calm and relaxed at the same time

Question 6

what is flooding?

Answer 6

-immediate exposure to a very frightening situation
-for extended period of time (2-3hrs)

Question 7

how is flooding useful?

Answer 7

-prevent avoidance behaviour for long enough to show the patient that phobic stimulus is harmless
(in classical conditioning called extinction.
-learnt response extingusihed
when the CS(spider) is encountered without the UCS(being bitten)
CS no longer produces CR of fear)

Question 8

what are the alternative treatments?

Answer 8

-drug treatments - bensodiazepites e.g valium (anti anxiety)
-SSRI’s (anti depressants)

Question 9

what are the advantages and disadvantages of drug therapy?

Answer 9

-cost effective
-side effects

Question 10

how is cognitive behavioral therapy used?

Answer 10

-identifies irritational and maladaptive thinking regarding their phobia and change them
-modifying thought should lead to change in feelings and behvaiours

Question 11

strenghts of SD

Answer 11

(effectiveness?)
-suggests to be highly effective
-long lasting results which are long term
-also effective to be used on those with learning disabilities and small kids
(those w learning disablities stuggle w cognitive therapies that require complex thought)
-flooding would be too traumatic for them
(ethics)
-significanlty less stresful and traumatic

Question 12

weaknesses of SD

Answer 12

(time and cost)
-very time consuming as it involves a step by step process
-it is not cost effective as its expensive
(orginal cause)
-original cause is no considered
-only tries to treat the symptoms
-doesnt consider the psycholgical roots to why they have the phobia
-symptom subsisituion - Persons(1986)

Question 13

Strenghts of flooding

Answer 13

cost:
-clinically effective and not expensive
-may work in as little as one session as opposed to 10 to achieve the same result as SD
-may even allow for a longer session

Question 14

weaknesses of flooding

Answer 14

(ethics)
high unpleasant
-schumacher et al said Ps rated flooding as more stressful and traumatic
-although they obtained informed consent
-dropout rates from sessions become higher
-therpists may have to avoid this treatment
(suitbality)
-cant be used in very serious situations e.g phobia of sharks
-risks the person getting seriously hurt
(symptom subsitiution)
-only masks symptoms
-doesnt tackle underlying conditonn
-persons reported a case of a women who feared death
-her fear of death declined but her fear of being criticised got worse

Question 15

design a programme of therapy for a person with a phobia of snakes?

Answer 15

1. look at a picture of a snake
   2.watch videos of snakes
   3.have a real life snake near you
   4.touch a snake
   5.hold a snake