Treating phobias - AO1 Flashcards
What are the two ways of treating phobias?
Systematic desensitisation
Flooding
What is systematic desensitisation?
It is a behavioural therapy designed to gradually reduce phobic anxiety through the principle of classical conditioning
If a person can learn to relax in the oresence of the phobic stimulus they will be cured.
This is done by counterconditioning
What is counterconditioning?
New response to the phobic stimulus is learned this is done by pairing the phobic stimulus with the relaxation instead of anxiety
What are the processes involved in SD?
- Anxiety hierarchy
- Relaxation
- Exposure
What is anxiety hierarchy?
List of situations related to the phobic stimulus that provoke anxiety arranged in order from least to most frightening.
It is put together by a client with phobia and therapist
What is relaxation?
Therapist teaches client to relax as deeply as possible. Impossible to be relaxed and anxious at the same time (reciprocal inhibition).
It might involve breathing excersises, mental imagery or drugs such as valium
What is exposure?
Client is exposed to the phobic stimulus in a relaxed state.
Takes place across several sessions, starting at the bottom of the anxiety hierarchy when they are relaxed there they move up higher on the anxiety hierarchy
Treatment is is successful when client can stay relaxed in situations high on the hierarchy.
What is flooding?
Involves exposing people with a phobia to their phobic stimulus without a gradual build up in an anxiety hierarchy.
Involves immediate exposure to a very frightening situation.
Sessions are longer than SD but there are less sessions needed
How does flooding work?
It works due to extinction and by achieving relaxation.
In some cases a client may achieve relaxation in the presence of the phobic stimulus because they have become exhausted by their own response
What is extinction?
Without the option of avoidance behaviour, the client quickly learns that the phobic stimulus is harmless
How does extinction work?
A learned response is extinguished when the conditioned stimulus (e.g a dog) is encountered without the unconditioned stimulus (e.g being bitten).
This means the CS no longer produces fear
What are the ethical safeguards of flooding?
Flooding is an unpleasant experience and it is important to give fully informed consent and are fully prepared.
A client would be given the choise of SD or flooding
