Therapy - Systematic Desensitisation

Question 1

SD

Answer 1

Step by step making you less sensitive to a phobia

Question 2

Step 1

Answer 2

> teach relaxation techniques
Counter-conditioning: process of producing a new stimulus-response link by replacing fear with relaxation response.

Question 3

Hierarchy

Answer 3

> Re-learning the stimulus response by using hierarchy
Therapist and client agree on it
gradually move through it

Question 4

Evaluate Effectiveness - strengths

Answer 4

> McGrath (1990) - successful for a wide range of anxiety disorders, 75% responded to reatment
Lang and Lazovik (1963), helped students with snake phobias, used hierarchy - fear rating fell.

Question 5

Evaluate Effectiveness - weaknesses

Answer 5

> Soligman argues - more likely to fear animals of biological significance
wouldn’t work with every phobia
Symptom subsitution - phobia may return once therapy ends (possibly in another form)

Question 6

Different froms of SD

Answer 6

> In vivo desensitisation - has to relax while directly experience the feared stimuli
In vitro - has to visualise the feared stimuli (imagine)

> In vivo more successful

Question 7

Evaluate Ethical Issues - strengths

Answer 7

> ‘flooding’ - less psychological harm with SD
Client is of sound mind to provide fully informed consent
Work through hierarchy at own pace
attend at own free will
progresses at a comfortable rate

Question 8

flooding

Answer 8

a therapy where the client is forced into an inescapable situation with their phobia

Question 9

Evaluating Ethical Issues - weaknesses

Answer 9

> can cause trauma
client can be in distress
could cause phobia of the therapist/therapyc