treatment of phobias Flashcards
what is the aim of systematic desensitisation
behavioural therapy designed to gradually reduce phobic anxiety through the principle of classical conditioning
what 2 ways can you treat phobias according to behaviourists
-systematic desensitisation
-flooding
what was systematic desensitisation initially called and why
-reciprocal inhibition because the relaxation inhibits the anxiety
3 processes of systematic desensitisation
1) anxiety hierarchy put together by a client with phobia and therapist, least to most frightening list
2)relaxation- therapist teaches client to relax as deeply as possible, impossible to be afraid and relaxed at the same time so one emotion prevents the other (reciprocal inhibition)
3) exposure- client is exposed to phobic stimulus in relaxed state, takes place across several sessions
what’s flooding
-intense exposure to a phobic stimulus with no graduated exposure and no opportunity to escape- final stage of hierarchy
how does flooding work
-stops phobic responses really quickly because without the option of avoidance behaviour, the client learns that phobic stimulus is harmless
what is flooding called in behaviourist terms
-extinction, when CS is encountered without the UCS
what is counter conditioning
-the learning of a different response, a new association to counter the original association (aka reciprocal inhibition)
wolpe experiment
-classically conditioned cats to fear a box after being given an electric shock in the box
-he then gradually exposed them to the box with treats- systematic desensitization
-classical conditioning to unlearn phobia
techniques in systematic desentisitasion
-visualisation (in vitro desensitisation)
-actual exposure (in vivo desensitisation)
-virtual reality
-modelling
(role play, self administered SD)
how to evaluate therapies in psychology
TEARS
what does TEARS stand for
-time (how long does therapy take?)
-Effectiveness (how much improvement is shown?)
-Appropriateness (is the procedure suitable for everyone?)
-Relapse (How likely is the patient to show symptoms again?)
-Side- effects (does the treatment have any unintended outcomes?)
example of systematic desensitisation
Little peter, cover- jones
-reduces child’s fear of rabbit by gradually exposing him to them while providing positive association (presence of enjoyable activities)
-initial phobic reaction of white rat
-daily play sessions with 3 children and white rabbit
-eventually, let rat nibble fingers
evidence supporting systematic desensitisation
-McGrath et al- 75% of patients with phobias respond to SD
-Gilroy- patients who received 3 sessions of sd for arachnophobia were less fearful of spiders both 3 and 33 months after treatment than control group
