Treatments for Phobias Flashcards
What conditioning is systematic desensitisation
Classical conditioning
How does classical conditioning affect phobias
It is the cause and cure for phobias
Counter-conditioning
New response to a stimulus is learned by pairing it with the response of relaxation instead of anxiety
Reciprocal inhibition
Can’t be afraid and relaxed at same time so one emotion prevents the other
What is systematic desensitisation
Treating someones phobias through graded exposure and relaxation
What does the therapist and client create to help overcome their fears
The anxiety hierarchy
What is the anxiety hierarchy
Construct pyramid of fears from least scary at bottom to most scary
How does the client use the anxiety hierarchy
Client has to become relaxed at each step and then moves to scarier fear
Give an example of the anxiety hierarchy (spiders)
Create a pyramid with at the bottom a picture of a spider at the end of a hallway. Move closer to the spider. Next is looking at a tiny spider. Gradually end up holding a tarantula
What are the three steps of systematic desensitisation
The anxiety hierarchy
Relaxation
Exposure
How does the client reach relaxation at each stage
Therapist teaches client to relax deeply or uses drugs (valium)
Process of systematic desensitisation in exposure
When relaxed client is exposed to phobic stimulus starting at bottom of hierarchy to top
Client stays relaxed and moves to later stages
Treatment successful when relaxed in situations
What is flooding
Full exposure to phobia
How long does flooding last
2-3hrs, sometimes only need 1 hour
How does flooding work
Stops phobic responses quickly
Cannot avoid phobic stimulus so learn its harmless
When does extinction occur in flooding
Response is extinguished when conditioned stimulus is encountered without unconditioned stimulus to conditioned stimulus no longer produces conditioned response
How do clients overcome their phobias
Screaming and crying, they exhaust themselves by their fear response
Reaching relaxation (due to how tired they area)
Classical conditioned diagram of systematic desensitisation
CS -> CR
Pickles -> Fear
UCS. -> UCR
Breathing exercise -> Relaxation
———————————————
CS. -> CR
Pickles. -> relaxation
Classical conditioning diagram of flooding
CS -> CR
Pickles -> Fear
UCS. -> UCR
Exhaustion. -> Relaxation
———————————————
CS. -> CR
Pickles. -> relaxation
Strength of systematic desensitisation
Gilroy (2003)
Compared clients receiving SD for spider phobias
With control group
3 months and 33 days after treatment the SD group were less fearful than the controls
Ultimately helped reduce anxiety in phobias
Weakness of systematic desensitisation
Clients with multiple phobias or trauma symptoms may benefit from other therapies
Along with social phobias, agoraphobia can be difficult to come up with hierarchy
Flooding strength
Compared flooding to cognitive therapies
Highly effective and quicker
Clients are free from symptoms as soon as possible
Cheaper treatment
Flooding weakness
Ethical issues
Giving therapist too much power
Traumatising
Give informed consent but can get psychological harm
