Treatment of phobias

Question 1

what are the 2 treatments of phobias?

Answer 1

1. Systematic desensitisation
2. Flooding

Question 2

Systematic Desensisitisation

Answer 2

Wolpe 1958
* Behavioural therapy based on the principles of classical conditioning
* person learns to form an association between the phobic stimulus + relaxation - Counterconditioning
Process involved:
1. Anxiety hierachy- patient + therapist form a list of all situations that trigger anxiety ranked from least- most frightening
2. Relaxation- individual is taught relaxtion techniques e.g. breathing exercises and mental imagery techniques. This is done to overcome reciprical inhibition - when a person is both afraid + trying to relax which means one emotion blocks the other makinh it difficult to overcome the phobia
3. Exposure- person is exposed to the phobic stimulus and is taught to use relaxtion techniques here. They may be presented with the fear situation for real (vivo desensitisation). All tasks on the anxiety heirachy have now been achieved

Question 3

Anxiety heirachy example

Question 4

SD: Evaluation

Answer 4

+ Support from Gilroy et al
+ Appropriate technique for people with learning difficulties
+ Requires motivation

Question 5

+ Gilroy et al

Answer 5

• (2003) followed up 42 people with spider phobias and found that these people were less fearful towards spiders following SD as opposed to the control group
• strength of SD is that its an effective form of treatment for phobias as it successfully reduces symptoms

Question 6

+ Appropriate technique

Answer 6

• SD is more appropriate to use on people with learning difficulties
• other therapy techniques may involve high level of thinking or direct exposure to feared objects and this may cause distress and confusion to people with learning disabilities

Question 7

- Requires motivation

Answer 7

• SD requires the patient to be motivated
• its time consuming as it involves constructing an anxiety heirachy and being taught relaxation techniques and can be costly
• not very appropriate

Question 8

Flooding

Answer 8

Direct, immediate exposure to the phobic stimulus
* sessions are longer than SD sessions, sometimes one session of flooding can last 2/3 hours
* works on the principle of extinction- where the learned response is extinguished when the conditioned stimulus is encountered without the unconditioned stimulus
* e.g. in Little Albert’s case, the white rat would be presented without the loud noise. this is to show that the phobic stimulus is harmless

Question 9

Flooding: Evaluation

Answer 9

+ Cost effective
- Unpleasant experience (Innappropriate)

Question 10

+ Cost effective

Answer 10

• flooding requires less sessions than systematic desentisation so costs the NHS less money
• its appropriate

Question 11

- Unpleasant experience

Answer 11

• flooding is a highly unpleasant experience
• informed consent has been taken but there is the ethical issue of causing high levels of anxiety and stress for the client
• may lead to high drop out rates- attrition
• process requires motivation but if people drop out its not appropriate