Treating Phobias

Question 1

What two ways are phobias treated?

Answer 1

• Systematic desensitisation ( a behavioural therapy designed to gradually reduce phobias through classical conditioning )
• Flooding ( pps are immediately exposed to a very frightening situation

Question 2

What are the three processes involved in SD?

Answer 2

The Anxiety Hierarchy:
- High and low anxiety situations involving the phobic stimulus are ranked
Relaxation:
- Client taught relaxation techniques or introduced to anti anxiety drugs
Gradual Exposure:
- Client works up the anxiety hierarchy maintaining relaxation at each level

Question 3

How does SD work?

Answer 3

• Counterconditioning: the phobic stimulus is paired with a relaxing stimulus until it is paired with relaxation and not anxiety

Question 4

What are two features of flooding?

Answer 4

• a fast process with a small number of fast sessions sometimes one sessions of just three hours
• Client must be prepared as it can be traumatic

Question 5

How does flooding work?

Answer 5

Extinction: the conditioned stimulus is presented without the conditioned stimulus (a dog) is encountered without the unconditioned stimulus (being bitten). The conditioned stimulus no longer produces the conditioned response (fear)

Question 6

What is one limitation of Flooding?

Answer 6

• Can be very traumatising for clients and so unethical. Also a high percentage of people drop out before the treatment is over dur to trauma.

Question 7

What is one strength of Flooding?

Answer 7

• Flooding is economical, it doesn’t take a long time and is relatively cheap and therefore more realistic to be used in the NHS

Question 8

What is one strength of SD?

Answer 8

• Suitable for people with learning disabilities in ways that therapies that require cognitive thought are not, in addition to this they may find flooding traumatic and so SD is most suitable