Treatment Of Phobias- Flooding

Question 1

Treatment of Phobias=
Flooding

A01- Rapid exposure

Answer 1

Rapid Exposure- The key assumption is that this approach will help extinction of the phobia, perhaps because the person becomes too physically exhausted for the conditioned response to occur

No Escape- If a patient is prevented from making their normal escape/avoidance response- extinction will occur

Question 2

Treatment of Phobias=
Flooding

A01- Reciprocal inhibition and relaxation

Answer 2

Reciprocal Inhibition-Idea that you can’t feel two opposing emotions. Involves psychology and biology; activation of the sympathetic nervous systems inhibits the parasympathetic nervous system

Relaxation- Therapist offers little assistance other than to help the patient use relaxation techniques in order to calm themselves. Such as progressive muscle relaxation

Question 3

Treatment of Phobias=
Flooding

A01- Implosion and application to virtual reality

Answer 3

Implosion- Phobic patients are bombarded with detailed description of the situations that they fear, for 6-9 continuous hours- not facing the real object but imagined
Virtual reality- Today’s treatment known as ‘EXPOSURE THERAPY’ and tends to rely on creating virtual environments to cause the extreme anxiety. This is where flooding can be done fairly effectively through virtual reality

Question 4

Treatment of Phobias=
Flooding

A01- Extinction

Answer 4

Extinction- A learned response is extinguished when the conditioned stimulus is encountered without the unconditioned stimulus, so the conditioned stimulus no longer produces the conditioned response. Sometimes the client may replace fear with relaxation

Question 5

Treatment of Phobias=
Flooding

A03- Weakness

Answer 5

The process of rapid exposure to an individuals phobia, without the relief of escape/ avoidance behaviour usually taken may cause intense distress and be traumatising for the patient. This could potentially lead to psychological harm, which suggests flooding is an unethical treatment. Furthermore, it may deter individuals from treatment as this methods seems intimidating and harmful.

Question 6

Treatment of Phobias=
Flooding

Strength- Effectiveness

Answer 6

For most individuals flooding usually only takes 1 session lasting 2-3hours, and according to biological principles the alarm reaction cannot be maintained for long. Therefore, for those with very strong phobias it can be a preferable and more successful treatment in that they only have to endure a quick frighting experience, as maintaining relaxation through other treatment methods proves too difficult. The biological aspect of this treatment suggests there is no control over the relaxation and therefore is a quick resolution for those with severe phobias.

Question 7

Treatment of Phobias=
Flooding

A01- Supporting evidence

Answer 7

Flooding is based on the idea of classical conditioning. That once the sympathetic response subsides, the parasympathetic response takes over, causing an association between the phobia and a calm response. This is supported by Wolfe (1973) who took a girl scared of cares on a drive until she calmed down. Despite being extremely upset at the beginning, this procedure did work. Demonstrating this treatment can be successful in treating phobias.

Question 8

Treatment of Phobias=
Flooding

A03- Weakness= short lived

Answer 8

Flooding works on the extinction of the alarm response as the sympathetic nervous system cannot maintain this response, the longer it is exposed to the phobic stimulus. However, extinction through classical conditioning techniques also suggests spontaneous recovery is possible, implying that the resolution of the phobia through extinction of the association of fear may be short lived. Therefore, rendering the treatment ineffective in the long run.